Interior (La Masovera) © Successió 2009 Joan Miró

It is now 75 years since the inauguration of the Museu d’Art de Catalunya, and the MNAC is celebrating it by bringing together 75 masterpieces of Catalan art belonging to private collections, Catalan, European and American museums, and ecclesiastic patrimony. The show enables us to journey through the history of Catalan art from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, through works of great artistic quality from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods, the nineteenth century, and the first three decades of the twentieth century. Exceptionally, some of these works have left their usual place in the churches and cathedrals of Catalonia for the first time to be included in this commemorative exhibition. Some, like the Beget Majesty, a major work of Catalan Romanesque sculpture, or the great Gothic altarpiece of the Virgin of L’Escala by Joan Antigó, are even abandoning for a few months their liturgical function in the church of Sant Cristòfor in Beget, a place of pilgrimage, and the monastery church of Sant Esteve in Banyoles, respectively – an occasion that has been taken advantage of to carry out the restoration of both works.

At the same time, the exhibition has made it possible for very important pieces that, for a variety of reasons, are located outside our frontiers to temporarily return to Catalonia, like Pere Oller’s relief from the tomb of King Ferdinand I of Antequera, originally in the monastery of Poblet and now in the Musée du Louvre; an Annunciation by Bernat Martorell from the Musée des beaux-arts in Montreal; Mediterranean, by Aristides Maillol, from the Musée d’Orsay or The Farmer’s Wife by Joan Miró from the Centre Georges Pompidou, to mention but a few. Equally important is the presence of works from Catalan institutions and museums, like the embroidery of Saint George and the Princess from the chapel in the Palau de la Generalitat; the embroidered frontal of Jesus and the Evangelists from the Museu Episcopal de Vic, or Marià Fortuny’s The Carpet Seller from the Museu de Montserrat, among many others.

In short, the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Museum of Catalan Art gives the MNAC the opportunity to house for a few months this most important and unlikely to be repeated selection of Guests of Honour.



The 75th Anniversary programme is supported by the Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals.

Exhibition catalogue: Guests of Honour. Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the MNAC

Activities arround the exhibition

Anniversary Night (Friday December 18th)
Free admission throughout the museum, live music in the Oval Hall. Commentaries of the most important pieces of the Permanent Collection.

Live music by the dixieland group Rino Dixie Band, from Taller de Músics.

The Guests, with commentary
Renowned experts from the Museum and the academic world offer their thoughts on some of the most significant works in the exhibition. Each session is a unique occasion to gain in-depth knowledge of one of the guests.

Every Tuesday and Thursday from January 14th to March 11th, at 6 p.m. (as an exception, on February 16th and 18th this activity will not be held)

It will soon be possible to consult the programme of art works and experts in detail.

Places limited depending on the capacity of the room. The audio devices are delivered between 5.30 p.m. and 5.45 p.m. at the counter of the room in strict order of arrival. Please be punctual.

'Una mà de contes convidats' (story-telling based on the works in the exhibition)
Get to know the art works in the MNAC in an imaginative way!

Visit the Ludoteca (playroom) and you will be able to see the stories produced by the MNAC in collaboration with the TVC programme Una mà de contes. Here, apart from learning about the art world in a very intriguing way, we will also suggest an activity for all the family: use your talent for story-telling and tell us a story inspired on the ones you will have seen, relating them to the works selected from the guests of honour.

Your stories will fill the Museum’s playroom

Access to the playroom is free while the Museum is open

Activity open to all ages

Guided visits to the temporary expositions
Combined visit to the temporary exhibitions Guests of Honor and The Wise Princess

From Saturday December 12th: Saturdays at 11 a.m. (Spanish) and 12.30 h (Catalan)

Duration: 1.30 hrs

Free. Places are limited

The audio equipment will be delivered 20 minutes before each visit to the desk groups. To facilitate the delivery please utmost punctuality.

In exceptional cases, the museum may vary the conditions of access to the tour. We apologize for any inconvenience