4 Gats 1900

Ramón Casas created this poster for the Barcelona cafe Els Quatre Gats. It was made using the technique of lithography, a printing process that depends on the skillful labor of both artist and printer. The aesthetic effect of lithography is quite distinctive, and in this case serves the subject matter well. Note the grainy quality of the image, and the subtle blending of tones. This is due to the use of a porous stone as the matrix for printing. The artist would have drawn the image on the stone’s surface with a greasy crayon, then the stone would be treated with chemicals. The ink adheres only to the greasy areas. The cafe itself was conceived as a meeting place for artists and intellectuals. Casas has given us a scene of convivial gathering and consumption, with glasses raised. The knowing combination of traditional methods and modern subject is typical of the period. It acknowledges, with a dose of self-aware humor, the relationship between art and urban life.