The sky on our ceiling: the hidden legacy of Antoni Coll i Pi
Some secrets can only be revealed through time and a curious gaze. For years, the ceiling of the centenary hall at Hotel Continental Palacete has been a silent witness to gatherings, celebrations, and unforgettable moments. A setting where the light from the magnificent chandelier, an original piece from the Gran Hotel Continental, intertwines with the delicate brushstrokes of an artist who, until recently, remained anonymous.
Today, we are thrilled to share an exciting discovery: the signature of Antoni Coll i Pi, a 19th-century painter who, in 1893, immortalized on this ceiling a scene of ethereal beauty—a fragment of sky suspended above our heads, painted using the oil-on-plaster technique.
A sky of harmony, freedom, and happiness
Looking up in our salon, we find ourselves beneath a celestial scene of exquisite beauty: three angels float among the clouds in an ethereal sky, surrounded by floral garlands evoking spring and the freshness of the open air. Their serene expressions and delicate gestures seem to invite us into a world of peace, harmony, and freedom, where the earthly and the divine merge in a dance of light and color.
The soft colors and delicate brushwork of Coll i Pi immerse us in a dreamlike universe, where the blue of the sky blends with the white of the clouds and the warm tones of the flowers and angelic figures. Every detail, from the translucent wings of the angels to the scattered petals in the air, reflects the artist’s mastery in creating enveloping, life-filled atmospheres.
Antoni Coll i Pi: an artist rediscovered by history
The signature of Antoni Coll i Pi, found on the edge of the painting along with the date 1893, has allowed us to delve into the life and work of this painter. Although little known today, Coll i Pi was an artist associated with the decorative academicism of the late 19th century, a period when Barcelona was experiencing an explosion of artistic and architectural innovation with the arrival of Modernisme.
His painting for our salon is part of this tradition of large-scale decorative frescoes that adorned the interiors of palaces and residences of the Catalan bourgeoisie, reflecting the era’s appreciation for beauty, refinement, and idealism.
A living artistic heritage
For Hotel Continental Palacete, this work is a living testament to the artistic splendor of 19th-century Barcelona, a legacy we continue to preserve with care. We invite all our guests and visitors to pause for a moment under the light of the grand chandelier and be captivated by the magic of this celestial ceiling—a true jewel that we can now admire with even greater depth, knowing who created it and in what historical context it was born.
Next time you visit us, look up.
Perhaps the angels will smile back at you.
