Pèl & Ploma

Around this time, Catalonia was experiencing the birth of a national conscience that was translated into two different genres of the modern Catalan magazine: literary and popular.

Among the first modern magazines of Catalonia were the three literature and art reviews directed by Ramon Casas and Miquel Utrillo: Quatre Gats, Pèl & Ploma, and Forma.

Production of Pèl & Ploma immediately followed the cease of Quatre Gats, its first issue appearing on June 3, 1899—a week after the last of its predecessor.

The most drastic change occurred its third year and remained in its fourth, when it was only released on a monthly basis yet with additional pages and contributions from artists outside of Catalonia.

The drawing features a woman slouched on a desk behind a stack of papers, a feather quill in hand and the magazine's title etched above her.

[11] Another significant piece of content published by the magazine was Utrillo's profile of Catalan painter Pablo Picasso, whose work was gaining great recognition at the time.

This piece was the first extensive article to cover the life and work of the famous artist, who was part of the Els Quatre Gats and Catalan modernist community.

[15] Barcelona, the city the publication was based out of, experienced a new wave of modernity via the content that Pèl & Ploma and similar reviews were published.

[16] Pèl & Ploma, its predecessor Quatre Gats, and its successor Forma were distinct from other magazines of the moment because they were largely artistic journals instead of literary ones.

[17] The publication's rejection of past artistic moments and trends emphasized its overall goal to promote and contribute to a fresh and innovative culture in Catalonia and the art world in general.