Our History
Christian Art : Our History
The brothers Joaquim and Marià Vayreda y Vila, who frequented Paris for their artistic activities, assimilated there a type of iconography known as the Art of Saint Sulpice, since it was developed by a good number of artists living in the Parisian district named after the saint.
Joaquim Vayreda, together with the painter J. Berga y Boix, carried out a technical trial aimed at providing employment for the advanced students of the Olot Drawing School, offering them the possibility of developing their artistic skills professionally.
From this mutual collaboration was born the first religious imagery industry, which took root in the population and is currently one of its most peculiar and well-known craft activities.
In 1880 the company was called “Vayreda, Berga y Cía”, which was transformed two years later into “EL ARTE CRISTIANO”.
Numerous artists, including sculptors of international prestige, have worked in the workshops of this leading company, creating images that have given prestige to the brand and have also been exported to several countries on five continents.
The statues made of wood pulp have the affirmative concession of the Sacred Congregation of Ritus and Indulgences, and therefore, the consideration of noble and venerable material.
In the year 1850, in Olot, there was a very important textile activity (cotton workers, weavers,…), coming from the industry of the indianas. As a result of this, we find a well-established artisan base.
To support this industry, the Public School of Drawing was founded (promoted by Bishop Lorenzana in 1783), which taught young apprentices the graphic arts of the Indianas.
Later, the artist Joan Carles Panyó was director of this school for many years and exerted a great influence on numerous disciples.
On the other hand, at the end of the 19th century there was a period of religious recovery, already initiated by Balmes, which meant that iconography was deeply rooted in Western culture in general and in Catalan culture in particular. The Vayreda brothers and grandfather Berga took up this legacy and transformed it into a new industry: religious imagery.
The promoters of Christian Art took advantage of all these circumstances and created a new and prosperous industry at that time.
So much so, that we soon found other examples in the same direction (up to 20 workshops at the beginning of the 20th century). Currently, the company’s goal is to promote this unique cultural heritage in the world with more than 2,000 models of sculptors such as Ache, Alentorn, Blay, Devesa or Llimona, among others.
Christian Art : A unique history
Christian Art : tradition, modernity and future
TRADITION
The Saints industry, which we now see as an anachronism, was therefore once innovative.
If we take a look at theIn addition to the traditional forms used in the mid-19th century to mold the images and the materials used, we realize that the saint industry in Olot and, particularly, in Christian Art, would be innovative by introducing a new material and a new modeling technique.
We refer to the wood cardboard paste, which represented a substantial improvement in the production of saints, since it meant: less modeling time, lighter pieces and more resistance of the material.
MODERNITY
Today, Arte Cristiano is a company with an authentic artisan tradition that has been able to adapt to modern times. It has gone through successful stages and difficult times, but has been able to evolve over time, always adapting to the market and circumstances.
This is why itis able to offer the purest tradition together with the experience of the years that support it while incorporating the technological improvements of the present moment.
The combination of Tradition – Experience – Modernity makes El Arte Cristiano a model company with more than one hundred years of history – from the end of the 19th century (1880) to the present day.
FUTURE
The company has obtained the Garrotxa Leader quality mark based on two sectors, in addition to the economic, which are environmental and social.
In order to innovate technologically with the renovation of the molds and thus be able to offer this heritage for outdoor use.
Within the Funeral Art, we have joined our efforts by collaborating with a leading company and leader in innovation and development in the research of new technologies in the world of Art.
