CERCLE 1

36 T hepainteranddrawerXavierGosé iRovirawasoneof the best and most internationally-renowned illustra- tors at the beginning of the 20th century. Hewas a great observer of Parisian life –the boulevards and cafés, the cabarets and luxurious, sophisticated andbeautiful social backdrops. Heworkwaswell-known largely via the illus- trated press. He had collaborated on magazines such as L’Esquella de la Torratxa , Barcelona Còmica , Quatre Gats , Hispania from a young age, and contributed work to Pel & Ploma and Catalunya Artística from Paris, aswell as to theFrenchmagazines LeRire and L’AssietteauBeurre ,who bothdedicated entire volumes to hiswork. Hisworkwas alsoreproduced inEnglishandGermanmagazinessuchas Jugend or Simplicissimus 1 . The son of parents from Lleida, he was in fact born in Alcalá de Henares on the 2nd of July 1876 thanks to his father’s posting there. Having lived in Barcelona since a baby, Goséwas a student at the LlotjaArt School, and lat- er collaboratedwith thedraughtsman JosepLluísPellicer. He left forParis in1900, surelyencouragedbyhismaster, wherehestayeduntil theoutbreakof theFirstWorldWar, whereupon he returned to his mother’s house in Lleida ill with tuberculosis, where he died on the 16th ofMarch 1915at theageof 38. THEEXHIBITION INITIATIVE In 1915 the Circle’s Governing Board was presided by the painter Carlos Vázquez; Alexandre Cardunetswas the vice-president, Josep Rosich Rubiera was the secretary, Carlos Lizana Smith the vice-secretary, Pere Raich the treasurer, JosepRocaRabell was the accountant, Pere Ca- sasAbarca the archivist, JoanHerran the conservationof- ficer, JulioMoisés the head spokesperson, and JoanAugé, Vicens Borràs Abella, Francesc Galofre Oller, JosepMaria GomisandCarlesRidaura, all spokesmen. In the minutes from the board meeting on the 22nd of March 2 the de-registration of Xavier Gosé appears, and there isanotice its transferral andof thesendingof acon- dolence telegram to hismother 3 .With the aim of rending him awell-deservedhomage, the organisationof an exhi- bition showing hisworkswas agreed: approaching those whomighthaveworksof his, aswell ashismother so that she could lend the original works from his Paris work- shops. Itwasalsoagreed to request somekindofmemori- al service from theCityHall. At theendofApril, AlexandreCardunetsmentioned to the Board that thememberBaldomerGili iRoighadrequested that LleidaCityHall erect some kindofmoment inGosé’s memory, and noted amessage from the CityHall to Gili i Roig. Cardunets thenproposed that theCircle support the idea and start a subscription to pay from the expense of themonument. Inprinciple, theproposalwasaccepted, to be later put off to another sessionwhere it could be duly addressed 4 . On the 16th of April, Carlos Vázquez had sent a letter to JoanRovira–Gosé’suncle–-whohadnot repliedprevious- ly as a relative of his had travelled toParis to findout the stateof theartist’s remainingworks. The relativehadwit- nessed the inventoryof the furniture, paintingsanddraw- ings, whichhadbeen carriedout by the Spanish consul in Paris. Theworkshopshadbeen sealedwhilst the ab-intes- tato ’swill declaration in favour of the artist’smotherwas drawnup. Rovira had spoken tohis sister about the topic mentioned by Vázquez, and in regards to authorising the Circle to exhibit Gosé’s works, she agreed with recogni- tion. Itwas highly likely that JoanRovira (or a family rep- resentative)went toParis at the end ofMay or beginning of June to collectGosé’s effects andworks. Itwas suggest- ed that adelegate from theCircle could accompany them, and simultaneously take charge of the works and draw- ings that, in their opinion, should feature in theprojected exhibition 5 . At the10thofMayBoardMeeting, thecontent of the letterwas discussed and the proposal 6 accepted in principle. InSeptember the initiativeprospered and there is amen- tion at theboardmeetingof a letter from JoanRovira, de- livered by a brother-in-law, which enabled the Circle to organise theexhibition 7 . PREPARATION InearlyNovember thepreparatorywork for theGoséexhi- bitionwaswell-advanced, and the organising committee, made up of Joaquín Sorolla, Hermen Anglada-Camarasa, Carlos Vázquez and Alexandre Cardunets (president and vice-president of the institution) 8 , were taking charge of classifying theworks. The Circle’s Painting SectionBoard was presided by LluísMasriera, Baldomer Gili i Roigwas the secretary, and Aureli Tolosa, Antoni de Ferrater and Francesc Garcia Escarré were spokesmen 9 . Framing was carriedoutbyEsteva&Cia 10, 11 . Theexhibitioncouldsurelyhavebeenopenedon the23rd –the President of the Lleida Regional Government had been invited along with other city aldermen. Cardunets explained at the Boardmeeting that the ‘Barcelona Trio’ had offered to give a concert during the exhibition, and proposeda speechbecelebrated. Thosepresent agreed to themotion 12 . At themeetingon the15th, theopeningdate is confirmed as the 23rd of November 13 , and the Board agreed to in- vite the press, representatives of local corporations and important characters, delegating this work 14 to Carlos Vázquez as president. In addition, the same day is pro- posed for the Barcelona Trio concert. Carlos Vázquez ex- plains at the samemeeting that theMuseums Board has chosenGosé’sworks, valuedatmore than three thousand pesetas, tobe shown in themunicipalmuseums 15 . In this posthumous tribute the idea was to display the great scale of theworks, notes and studies that Gosé had left behind in the Circle’s rooms, aswell as seeking to be an exhibition that reminded people of the impression the artist had caused at the Galeries Dalmau three years previously. According to the press, the Circle, which had been located at number 33 Rambla de Catalunya 16 since the beginning of that year, had very comfortable, luxuri-