Xavier Miserachs: Barcelona

Catalan writer Josep Maria Espinàs described the photographs of Barcelona included in Xavier Miserachs’ (1937–98) 1964 photobook Blanc i negre as capturing the “complexity and seductiveness of a living city.” Drawing inspiration from the work of William Klein and Francesc Català-Roca, Miserachs documented the day and nightlife of his native city in luminous black and white: from families strolling and children playing in the streets to the city’s crowded flea markets and workers leaving their factories at the end of the day. Warm-hearted and exuberant, Miserachs’ photographs of Barcelona show the city busily enjoying a period so prosperous it has been termed the “Spanish miracle.” Xavier Miserachs: Barcelona, copublished by the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona and RM Verlag, revisits Miserachs’ legendary photobook, featuring 84 of the 371 photographs included in the original publication.