Lola Anglada i Sarriera
Barcelona, 1892 - Tiana, 1984
On March 24, 1961, Lola Anglada and the Diputació de Barcelona signed the cession of her antique doll and toy collection to the town of Sitges. Four months later, the collection was installed in the sala Vaixells of the Palau Maricel. In 1972 it was moved to the Museu Romàntic.
In return for her important donations, the Sitges Town Council, officiated by Josep Ferret i de Querol, offered her the use of this house for life. She moved into it and decorated it with the art collection and the best pieces of furniture from her house in Tiana.
On January 26, 1962, Anglada made a donation to the Santiago Rusiñol Library of seven books illustrated by her.
Between 1963 and 1975 she illustrated several of the Corpus and Festa Major programs and produced a series of ceramic works.
Lola Anglada i Sarriera
Barcelona, 1892 - Tiana, 1984
Lola Anglada Sarriera (Barcelona, 1892 – Tiana, 1984) lived for a short period in this house, which was named after her. She was a versatile artist: illustrator, engraver, painter, sculptor, potter and writer. From an early age, she displayed a talent for the artistic and was encouraged to develop her sensitivity. In 1918, she traveled to Paris for the first time, and would visit the city of lights on many more occasions since she worked both in Catalonia and in the French capital. It was precisely in Paris where she began her doll collection.
Highly committed to her Republican political views, she was forced into keeping a low profile, into an internal exile, during the 40s and 50s, stigmatized for being a "red and separatist", in Barcelona and Tiana.
Her generous donations to the town of Sitges garnered her a right to an entry in the Diccionari Biogràfic de Sitgetans.
On March 24, 1961, Lola Anglada and the Diputació de Barcelona signed the cession of her antique doll and toy collection to the town of Sitges. Four months later, the collection was installed in the sala Vaixells of the Palau Maricel. In 1972 it was moved to the Museu Romàntic (on the very same day of the inauguration of Museu Romàntic Can Papiol in Vilanova). The collection includes more than 400 objects, ranging from the 17th to the 19th century, out of which 250 were put on display.
In return for her important donations, the Sitges Town Council, officiated by Josep Ferret i de Querol, offered her the use of this house for life. She moved into it and decorated it with the art collection and the best pieces of furniture from her house in Tiana. She was very excited by the possibility of living in the artistic and cultural atmosphere Sitges offered and was looking forward to taking part in it.
Panyella adds: "She looked after the house and decorated it with great care and attention since it was meant to be her own peaceful retreat for creativity." She also had the intention of making it a sort of house museum. In an interview she explained to Tarzan (alias for Francisco Martínez Ramos) that here "I draw, paint, cook, write and do the house chores", and she also took care of her doll collection, as was specified in the donation documents.
She also said she felt part of the town because the town loved her. However, she foresaw a dark artistic future for the town, because it had given itself completely away to tourism, which she compared to an epidemic, a contagious disease. This is why she recommended the Town Council to endorse the creation of a cultural association made up by highly qualified people.
On January 26, 1962, Anglada made a donation to the Santiago Rusiñol Library of seven books illustrated by her, which were no longer on sale. Hers was a short stay in Sitges: less than two years. It was a happy time for her; in Tiana she did not feel at ease, she felt trapped. However, she was forced to return to the family house after a problem with a maid left her practically bankrupt. In any case, she did not lose touch with the town that had welcomed her with arms wide open.
She collaborated in many artistic endeavors, between 1963 and 1975 she illustrated several of the Corpus and Festa Major programs and produced a series of ceramic works: Corpus tiles, Torre de les Hores (Clocktower), El passat mariner de Sitges (Sitges, former fishermen village) and Sant Jordi. In 1971, her close friendship with Lola Mirabent, the Sitges' library director, led to the donation of part of her own personal book collection to the Santiago Rusiñol Library.
On October 30, 1974, the creation of a Lola Anglada Museum in the Old Miramar Hotel in Sitges was announced. Many years have passed since then, we will have to content ourselves with the space allocated to her collection in the Museu Romàntic.
Bibliography:
Sierra Farreras, Roland (1998). Diccionari Biogràfic de Sitgetans. Ajuntament de Sitges.
Anglada Sarriera, Lola (2015). Memòries 1892-1984. Diputació de Barcelona.
Casanova, Rafael. Recull de premsa (1960-1990). AHS.
Esquerda Bosch, Montserrat. Recull de premsa.
Tarzan. “En nuestro radar: Lola Anglada”. L’Eco de Sitges (6-12-1964).