T he Sala Parés had become a highly respected establishment. And it deserved it not only because of the lack of competition for quite a few years, but also because of the artistic quality that the exhibitions used to exhibit. It was not surprising that visiting him became almost a custom, elevated to the level of a Sunday ritual. In effect, the bourgeoisie knew that they had to dedicate the morning to fulfilling the obligation mass, choosing a
It could not be otherwise, because since 1877, when the owner decided not only to continue offering frames, engravings, reproductions and fine art supplies but also artistic paintings, there was no competition: it was the only one. Until 1892, the newspaper La Vanguardia took advantage of the transfer of its editorial and administration to the Rambla. The considerable increase in circulation, the centrality of the place and being attached to the El Siglo stores led to the inauguration of a large exhibition hall inside. In 1906 Josep Dalmau installed his on Portaferrissa Street, although with a smaller audience as he opted for avant-garde style.
Despite the respect that the Sala Parés has always deserved, sometimes the exhibition was not equally liked and the work of the exhibited artist even deserved some negative evaluations. But suddenly, an attack against the establishment was published. It was 1905.
That year, the weekly Papitu of the eccentric Francesc Pujols gave the most aggressive criticism, declaring that it was a nest of bad taste and artistic lies. Parés, who in those situations reacted like the gentleman he was, did not fall into the temptation of entering into a controversy. The best response to him was a group made up of a good group of young people. And then important artists, such as Rusiñol, Darío Regoyos and Alexandre de Riquer. The sharp critic Raimon Casellas was full of praise.
The Sala Parés passed into the hands of the Maragall lineage, which has known how to maintain style and category, reinforced by its status as a historic hall: the first in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe. For many years.
