Miquel Utrillo facts for kids
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Miquel Utrillo i Morlius (born February 16, 1862, in Barcelona; died January 20, 1934, in Sitges) was a talented Catalan artist. He worked as an art critic, a scenographer (someone who designs stage sets), a painter, and an engineer.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Miquel Utrillo was born in Barcelona. His father, Miquel Utrillo i Riu, was a lawyer. His mother was Ramona Morlius i Borràs. When Miquel was young, his family moved to France. He received a bilingual education, learning both Spanish and French.
From 1880 to 1882, Miquel studied engineering at the Institut National Agronomique in France. After his parents returned to Spain, he stayed in Paris. He was drawn to the exciting art scene in Montmartre. He often visited a famous cabaret called Le Chat Noir. There, he met the artist Suzanne Valadon. In 1883, Suzanne had a son named Maurice. Miquel later became the legal father of Maurice in 1891.
Artistic Beginnings and Travels
In 1885, Miquel traveled to Belgium and Germany. He then joined his father in Madrid, Spain. Three years later, he used his engineering skills to help prepare for the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition. This was a big international fair held in Barcelona.
The next year, Miquel went back to Paris. He worked as a correspondent for the newspaper La Vanguardia. He reported on the Exposition Universelle of 1889. He decided to stay in Paris and work as an art critic, writing about art. During this time, he also worked on a play with music by the composer Erik Satie.
Return to Catalonia and Creative Work
After a few years, Miquel Utrillo returned to his home region of Catalonia. He moved in with his friend Santiago Rusiñol in Sitges. Sitges was becoming a lively place for artists. Miquel worked on his painting skills there. He also continued to write art criticism for La Vanguardia.
Miquel and his artist friends started an annual event called "Festes modernistes de Sitges." He helped design the stage sets and posters for these events. He also worked with the poet Joan Maragall. Together, they created illustrations for an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck called Iphigénie en Tauride. From 1899 to 1903, Miquel, Rusiñol, and Ramon Casas helped create an art and literature magazine called Pèl & Ploma.
Later Projects and Recognition
In 1910, Miquel Utrillo married Lola Vidal. She was the sister of painter Lluïsa Vidal. Around this time, an art collector from America, Charles Deering, asked Utrillo to design a special place near Sitges for his art collection. Deering bought an old building from the Middle Ages, the Hospital de Sant Joan Baptista, for this project. Miquel worked on this design until 1919.
While working on Deering's project, Miquel also helped organize the Exhibition of French Arts in Barcelona. For his contributions, he received the Legion of Honor in 1916. This was a very important award from France.
In 1929, Miquel Utrillo participated in the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. He helped design and create a special architectural museum called the "Poble Espanyol" (Spanish Village). This museum showed different types of Spanish architecture.
In 1930, his friend Santiago Rusiñol worked to restore Miquel's good name. This was part of turning Rusiñol's home into what is now the Cau Ferrat Museum. Rusiñol passed away in 1931. Miquel's wife, Lola, died in 1932. During this time, Miquel was writing a history of the local art community. This book was published after he died in 1934.
