Private Visit of the ARS Foundation Board of Trustees to the Casacuberta-Marsans Collection
- Editorial
- Mar 29
- 2 min read
As part of the institutional activities of ARS Foundation, its Board of Trustees, led by its President, Mr. Jaume Torres, carried out a private visit—last Friday, March 27—to the Casacuberta-Marsans Collection, located in the former Hospital Sant Saver, in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. This 15th-century historic building, recently renovated by architects Jordi Garcés, Daria de Seta and Anna Bonet, provides a singular setting in which architecture and collection engage in a particularly coherent dialogue.
The visit, held on a private basis, was led by the collection’s coordinator, Ms. Cèlia Querol, who guided an in-depth tour through a representative selection of the more than three hundred works that make up this collection. The collection spans a broad historical range, from the 12th century to the present day, articulating a continuous narrative of Hispanic art.
During the visit, particular attention was given to works of significant historical and artistic relevance, such as the Triptych of the Lamentation (c. 1480–1485), attributed to the Master of the Legend of Saint Lucy, displayed in the former sacristy, where the space enhances the spiritual dimension of the piece. Also noteworthy was La bordadora (1923) by María Blanchard, whose modern reading establishes a compelling dialogue with the medieval iconographic tradition present in the collection.
The ensemble is further enriched by works from key artists such as Ramon Casas and Isidre Nonell, shaping a narrative that connects different moments in the history of art through a rigorous curatorial approach sensitive to context.
At the time of the visit, the collection featured a new installation structured around the recent acquisition of Christ on the Cross (c. 1585–1590) by El Greco, an exceptional work considered one of the earliest versions of this subject within the artist’s oeuvre. Positioned in the former altar space of the hospital, the painting acquires a particularly powerful scenographic and spiritual dimension, reinforced by the architectural setting.
This work is not presented in isolation, but rather as the conceptual axis of a selection of around forty works, conceived through a non-chronological approach that encourages a transversal dialogue across periods. In this context, El Greco is placed in relation both to medieval tradition and to the so-called “España negra” painting, as well as to Catalan modernism, which recognized him as a precursor of an emotionally driven painting opposed to strict realism.
The installation establishes direct connections with works in the collection by artists such as Ignacio Zuloaga, Santiago Rusiñol and José Gutiérrez Solana, as well as with Gothic pieces and liturgical objects, reinforcing a continuous and complex reading of Spanish art history.
The Casacuberta-Marsans Collection is the result of the collecting activity developed by Mr.Fernando Casacuberta and Ms. Coty Marsans, whose trajectory has been marked by a strong local and international projection. In this regard, their connection to art, to Barcelona and to Geneva is particularly relevant for ARS Foundation, as both institutions share a solid presence in these two cities and a common commitment to art.
