Joan Prats
Joan Prats: Catalan Visionary, Cultural Catalyst, Champion of the Avant-Garde
b. November 19, 1891, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain – d. October 14, 1970, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain)
Joan Prats was one of the most influential figures in 20th-century Spanish art—not as a painter or sculptor, but as a tireless promoter, connector, and friend to some of the century’s greatest artists. Born in Barcelona in 1891, Prats studied at the Llotja School and the Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc, where he formed a lifelong friendship with Joan Miró. Although he inherited and managed his family’s hat shop on Rambla Catalunya, his true passion lay in the visual arts. His modest storefront became a meeting place for artists, writers, and musicians—an informal cultural salon at the heart of Catalonia’s avant-garde.
In 1932, Prats co-founded ADLAN (Amics de l’Art Nou), a visionary association that brought radical modernism to Barcelona. Under his leadership, ADLAN organized groundbreaking exhibitions featuring artists like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Alexander Calder, and Joan Miró, introducing surrealism and abstraction to a broader public at a time of political and cultural turbulence. Prats' gift lay not only in recognizing talent but in creating the networks and platforms through which artists could thrive. His work with ADLAN laid the groundwork for Catalonia’s postwar cultural resurgence.
His relationship with Joan Miró was especially profound. Their friendship, built on mutual respect and artistic dialogue, spanned five decades. Prats played a vital role in the eventual establishment of the Fundació Joan Miró, contributing to its founding vision and helping to shape its early direction. Miró, in turn, acknowledged this deep bond in works such as Homenatge a Joan Prats and by entrusting him with the stewardship of his legacy.
Prats also forged important relationships with other key artists, including Antoni Tàpies, whose early career he supported, and Joan Hernández Pijuan, whose minimalist abstractions were championed by the Galeria Joan Prats in the 1970s and ’80s. British-born artist Jim Bird, who relocated to Catalonia, also benefited from Prats’ eye and commitment to international dialogue. In the case of Salvador Dalí, Prats was among the earliest to promote his surrealist vision in Barcelona through ADLAN's exhibitions.
Following Prats’ death in 1970, his legacy lived on through the founding of the Galeria Joan Prats in 1976, which opened with the landmark exhibition Presència de Joan Prats. The gallery became a critical venue for contemporary art in Spain, representing the very artists he had mentored and introducing new generations to the ideas he had long championed. More than a dealer or gallerist, Joan Prats was a bridge—between artists and audiences, between Catalonia and the world, and between tradition and the avant-garde. His influence continues to shape Barcelona’s identity as a global center for modern and contemporary art.
Jim Bird b. 1937, Bloxwich, UK - d. 2010, Catalonia, Spain
Joan Prats became a key supporter of British-born artist Jim Bird after Bird relocated to Catalonia in the 1960s. Drawn to Bird’s lyrical abstraction and expressive compositions, Prats welcomed him into the Galeria Joan Prats circle, where Bird gained considerable exposure. His work was featured prominently in the gallery’s 12th Anniversary Portfolio (1976–1988), which included original lithographs by artists closely associated with the gallery. Through these exhibitions and publications, Prats helped establish Bird’s reputation within the Spanish and international contemporary art scene, reinforcing the gallery’s role in championing abstract expressionists emerging in post-Franco Spain.
Salvador Dali b. May 11, 1904, Figueres, Spain - d. Jan 23, 1989, Figueres, Spain
Joan Prats was instrumental in elevating Salvador Dalí’s early career through his work with ADLAN (Amics de l’Art Nou), the avant-garde collective he co-founded in 1932. ADLAN served as a vital platform for surrealist and modernist innovation in Barcelona, and Prats ensured that Dalí’s work was included alongside other groundbreaking artists such as Picasso, Miró, and Calder. This early support came at a time when Dalí’s provocative style was still controversial in Spain, and Prats’ dedication to modernism helped create the cultural conditions for Dalí’s rise within both national and international art circles.
Joan Miró b. Apr 20, 1893, Barcelona, Spain - d. Dec 25, 1983, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
Among Prats’ most profound relationships was his lifelong friendship and collaboration with Joan Miró. The two met as students at the Llotja School and remained close throughout their lives, sharing not only a deep personal bond but also a vision for modern art in Catalonia. Prats was a tireless promoter of Miró’s work, advising him throughout his career and later playing a pivotal role in the establishment of the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona. Miró, in turn, honored their friendship through dedicated works such as Homenatge a Joan Prats (1971), and entrusted Prats with curatorial influence over his exhibitions. Their partnership symbolized the blending of artistic vision with cultural stewardship, and it defined a generation of Catalan modernism.
Pablo Picasso b. Oct 25, 1881, Malaga, Spain - d. Apr 8, 1973, Mougins, France
While Prats and Picasso were not as personally intertwined as Prats and Miró, their professional connection was rooted in the activities of ADLAN during the 1930s. Prats’ organization brought Picasso’s work to Barcelona at a time when access to international modernist currents was limited. Later, Galeria Joan Prats honored Picasso through exhibitions and commissioned editions, including a signed poster for the gallery’s 1977 programming. These efforts positioned Picasso’s work within a broader Spanish context, reinforcing Prats’ role in making Barcelona a vital hub for European modernism.
Joan Hernández Pijuan b. Feb 15, 1931, Barcelona, Spain - d. Dec 28, 2005, Barcelona, Spain
Prats provided crucial early support to Joan Hernández Pijuan, whose serene, minimalist paintings and prints became emblematic of post-war Spanish abstraction. The gallery exhibited Pijuan’s work frequently, including his contribution to the 12th Anniversary Portfolio and solo exhibitions in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Through this sustained advocacy, Prats helped introduce Pijuan’s meditative approach—marked by vast spatial fields and a restrained use of color—to collectors and institutions. The collaboration reflects Prats’ eye for emerging talent and his commitment to fostering a uniquely Catalan voice in contemporary art.
