Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem |
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| Artist | Ramon Casas i Carbó |
| Year | 1897 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 191 cm × 215 cm (75 in × 85 in) |
| Location | Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona |
Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem is a famous painting by Ramon Casas. You can see it today at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain.
About the Painting
This painting was made by Ramon Casas in 1897. It was created especially for a famous bar in Barcelona called Els Quatre Gats. This bar was a popular spot for artists during the Modernisme art movement. Modernisme was a unique art style from Catalonia, similar to Art Nouveau.
The painting shows Casas and his friend Pere Romeu riding a tandem bicycle. Pere Romeu helped start the Els Quatre Gats bar. They are riding against the beautiful skyline of Barcelona. Casas is shown from the side, smoking his pipe. Romeu, however, looks straight out at you, the viewer!
Even though it's an oil painting, it looks a lot like a huge poster. It has strong lines and simple shapes. This is because Ramon Casas was also a very talented poster designer and illustrator.
What the Painting Means
There was a message written on the right side of the painting. It was in Catalan and said: "to ride a bicycle, you can't go with your back straight." This part was later cut off from the painting.
This message was a way to describe the ideas of the bar's founders. Two of them, Casas and Romeu, are in the painting. It meant that to make progress and move forward, you sometimes have to break away from old traditions. This was exactly what they were trying to do at Els Quatre Gats.
In 1901, this painting was replaced at the bar. Casas painted another large artwork called Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu in an Automobile. In this new painting, the bicycle was gone, and a car took its place. The car was a symbol of the new 20th century that was just beginning.
When pictures of both paintings appeared in a magazine called Pel & Ploma, they were given special names. The bicycle painting was called The End of the 19th Century. The car painting was called The Beginning of the 20th Century.
See also
In Spanish: Ramon Casas y Pere Romeu en un tándem para niños
