The Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc (Catalan pronunciation:[ˈseɾkləəɾˈtistiɡdəˈsaɲˈʎuk], meaning in English "Saint Lluc Artists' Circle") is an arts society which was founded in Barcelona (Catalonia) in 1893 by Joan Llimona, Josep Llimona, Antoni Utrillo, Alexandre de Riquer, the city councillor Alexandre M. Pons and a group of artists who were followers of bishop Josep Torras i Bages, as a reaction to the anticlerical current present in modernisme and in the Cercle Artístic de Barcelona, which they considered to be frivolous. The society was typified by its vigorous defence of Catholic morals (even going so far as to prohibit the artistic nude [citation needed]) and of family virtue, and its desire to follow in the path of humility that was pursued by the mediaeval guilds.