Furniture with secrets

Conscious of the richness of the furniture collection which formed part of the bequest of Sant Benet de Bages, Caixa Manresa wanted to show some of the most interesting pieces, acquired with the purchase of the monastery. This was the first time that the restored furniture was shown to the public, gathered together during years by the family of the painter Ramon Casas, who refurbished various rooms in the monastery. This was a small, curious and intriguing display, in anticipation of what may be seen in the restored monastery complex.

The displayed domestic furniture was produced in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the display, the furniture itself explained its story. A common denominator of these pieces is that they have spaces to hide “secrets”: nooks to hide jewellery and documents, secret things...

The exhibition included some displays that introduced us to topics related to this furniture and the phenomenon of decorative arts collection. With this the visitor could get into a social context and a time: the beginning of decorative arts’ collection and the environment surrounding Catalan Modernisme.