Art & Literature

For centuries, Mallorca has attracted artists, writers, and intellectuals — some came for a winter, others stayed a lifetime.

Joan Miro — the Mallorcan by choice

The Catalan artist Joan Miro (1893–1983) moved permanently to Mallorca in 1956 — the homeland of his mother and wife. In his studio designed by Josep Lluís Sert in Cala Major (now the Fundacio Pilar i Joan Miro), he created much of his later work. The studio is preserved today as if Miro had just left: brushes, paint tubes, half-finished works. The foundation hosts rotating exhibitions and houses over 6,000 works.

Robert Graves — the Englishman in Deia

The British writer Robert Graves (1895–1985), author of "I, Claudius," lived from 1929 until his death in the mountain village of Deia on the northwest coast. His house, Ca n'Alluny, is now a museum. Graves' presence attracted an entire artist colony to Deia — painters, musicians, writers. The myth persists to this day: Deia is considered the most artistic village on the island, even though property prices have now reached London levels.

Other Literary Traces

George Sand and Frederic Chopin spent the winter of 1838/39 in the Charterhouse of Valldemossa — now a museum and pilgrimage site for romantics. Sand's travelogue "A Winter in Mallorca" is an ambivalent love letter to the island. The Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator documented the Balearic Islands encyclopedically in the 19th century. And the Mallorcan poet Miquel Costa i Llobera created "El pi de Formentor," perhaps the most famous poem in the Catalan language.

Contemporary Scene

In recent years, Palma has developed into a hotspot for contemporary art. The Es Baluard Museu d'Art Contemporani on the former city wall showcases international and Balearic contemporary art. Numerous galleries have settled in the Santa Catalina and Sa Gerreria districts. The Nit de l'Art (Art Night, September) transforms all of Palma into an open-air gallery.