Graner, Lluís

Lluís Graner (Barcelona, 1863 - Barcelona, 1929)

A student at the Llotja school, he moved to Paris with a scholarship granted by the Diputación (1886). He was awarded the third medal at the Universal Exhibitions of Barcelona (1888) and Paris (1889). He was a member of the National Society of Fine Arts of France. After his return to Barcelona (1891), he exhibited in his city as well as in Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Munich, Düsseldorf and other European cities until 1904.

His paintings, realistic in form, had as their subject matter the daily life of the humble. Obstinate in capturing interior scenes, he played with the effects of light, sometimes exaggerated and theatrical. He is often placed in the group of naturalist painters, such as Francesc Gimeno or Dionís Baixeras.

In 1904, his works were intended to be a synthesis of all the arts. To this end, he organized musical visions, shows combining poetry, music, scenography and cinema, which he presented on the Rambla, in the Sala Mercè, decorated by his friend Antoni Gaudí.

At the same time, he made the first spoken film projections, using actors who, behind the screen, lent their voices.

As an impresario of the Graner Shows and Auditions, he suffered economic ruin, moved to America and returned to painting. He lived in Havana, São Paulo, Montevideo, San Francisco and in 1920 he settled in New York. He returned to Barcelona in 1927 (enciclopedia.cat).