L'auca del senyor Esteve
L’auca del senyor Esteve is a novel by Santiago Rusiñol, published in 1907. It blends 19th‑century Barcelona life with the auca, a Catalan picture‑story style. The work was adapted for the stage, and its first performance was on 12 May 1917 at Teatre Victòria in Barcelona.
The story unfolds through 27 scenes set in the Ribera neighborhood, each pictured by Ramon Casas and rhymed by Gabriel Alomar, forming 27 illustrations and 27 rhymes. The novel uses these pictures and verses to show the changing social relationships of the time and is linked to Art Nouveau.
The 27 chapters are divided into three parts: first, Esteve’s birth, childhood, learning and marriage; second, his life as a good shopkeeper and a conflict with his son Ramonet, who wants to be an artist rather than run the shop; third, the reconciliation between the artist and the social class he belongs to.
The setting and style reflect the characteristics of Art Nouveau and the society of that era.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:33 (CET).