The sculptor Frederic Marès (1893–1991), the most distinguished Catalan collector of the 20th century, donated his collections to the city of Barcelona in 1946. Two years later, this museum was inaugurated in a part of the old Royal Palace of the Counts of Barcelona in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. Its patio or courtyard garden is still preserved.

Sculpture

Frederic Marès transformed sculpture into something beyond his artistic calling. Throughout his life he gathered an extensive collection of Hispanic sculpture from ancient times up to the 19th century, when polychrome carving predominated. Marès also donated some of his own sculptures, which are exhibited in his Library-Study.

Collector’s Cabinet

Tens of thousands of familiar and unusual objects make up a great ‘collection of collections’ that documents past lifestyles and customs, mainly from the 19th century. Fans, pipes, watches, jewellery, photographs, toys, keys, pharmacy and reliquary bottles, all presented in an intimate environment, evoke Marès’ private universe.