CORNELLÀ’S WORKSHOP

La Bisbal's pottery has always been made out of red clay. Nevertheless, the arrival of a potter from the town of Quart, who worked with black clay, started a singular production, more by contrast rather than by the technical or typological features imported from its birthplace. Its resemblance to the production of Quart was only modified by the qualities of local clays and by the evolution of shaping techniques introduced by each worker in the workshop. 

The man who started Cornellà's workshop was Feliu Bonadona i Mateu, born in Quart's reputed family of potters the Bonadonas. Documental references point at F. Bonadona's black clay workshop being established in La Bisbal in the year 1865. Feliu Bonadona had no children. Realising he was growing old and had an important amount of work, he proposed two of his nephews to take charge of the workshop. These nephews were Joan Cornellà Bonadona and Paulí Bonadona Clotas. In 1898, they were already settled in the workshop.

Around 1907, the harmony of the family was shattered and Paulí left the workshop. In June 1912 Feliu Bonadona died and left Joan Cornellà as his heir.

Joan Cornellà was the first to stamp a bronze seal on the handles of his pitches. It is not known when he exactly started this practice, but the pitches acquired by the ethnologist Ramon Violant Simorra in 1944 were all already marked.

In April 1914, the only son of Joan Cornellà and Francesca Font's was born: Lluís Cornella, who would grow up single and childless, He worked uninterruptedly until his retirement in 1979.