Sala Parés | Barcelona

In 1877, thanks to his son Joan Baptista Parés, what had been an art supplies shop, set up by Joan Parés in 1840 at Carrer Petritxol 5, became the iconic art gallery that still stands today: the Sala Parés.

The Sala Parés was the first gallery established in Spain, and it burst onto the scene with great artistic and commercial success. From the very beginning it exhibited leading Spanish painters such as Ramón Casas, Santiago Rusiñol and Eliseu Meifrén, among others.

Over time it became the centre of Barcelona’s artistic life, with tertulias (artistic and literary gatherings), concerts, talks and exhibitions, and it grew by taking over the plot of the inner courtyard, which let in natural light that was impossible to get from the narrow street.

Around 1915 its success began to fade, and Joan B. Parés, by then elderly and without heirs, sold the gallery to Joan Antón and Raimond Maragall Noble, who gave it a fresh boost by opening its doors to younger generations of artists.

Around 1988 the Sala Parés renovated its space, keeping its historic structure but adding contemporary elements and gaining an extra exhibition room alongside the traditional space.

Its strategic location and its historical and artistic past mean that more than 60,000 people visit the gallery every year. It still has a stately air and echoes of Modernisme (Catalan Art Nouveau).

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