Joan Rebull

JOAN REBULL TORROJA (Reus, 1899 - Barcelona, 1981).
"La ben plantada", c. 1960.
Marble.
Signed.
Measurements: 195 x 68 x 57 cm.
Exhibitions:
- Museu Europeu d'Art Modern (MEAM), "Un segle d'escultura catalana", 2013. Reproduced in catalog, p. 27.

This imposing marble sculpture represents one of Joan Rebull's most personal and recognizable creative lines: the exaltation of the female figure as an emblem of harmony, balance and vital plenitude. The work directly captures the spirit contained in the famous Bartrian concept of "La ben plantada", transferring it to a sculptural synthesis characterized by sobriety, formal forcefulness and the absence of expressive artifice.
The figure, naked and fully frontal, is presented erect, firm, seated on her feet with an almost classical serenity. The treatment of the marble, smooth and polished, emphasizes the purity of the surfaces while the anatomy, studied but contained, avoids any exuberance to insist on the idea of dignity, serenity and moral strength. The direct gaze, the verticality of the body and the elegant simplicity of the gesture are integrated in a refined aesthetic that links with the Mediterranean tradition, but filtered by the modern sensibility of the mid-twentieth century.
Made around 1960, the piece belongs to the sculptor's mature stage, when his language reaches full solidity and balance, moving away from the most descriptive naturalism to embrace a formal synthesis of great iconic strength. Its presentation at the MEAM as part of a reference exhibition on 20th century Catalan sculpture confirms the relevance of this work within Rebull's artistic corpus and its importance in the configuration of contemporary Catalan sculptural identity.

Joan Rebull is considered one of the great names of 20th century Catalan sculpture. Trained in Barcelona and Paris, he evolved from approaches close to noucentisme towards a formal purification marked by volumetric solidity, structural clarity and a profoundly Mediterranean sensibility. He was the author of important public monuments and institutional works, while developing an intimate production focused on the human figure, especially female, which has become one of the hallmarks of his artistic legacy. His sculptures are part of important public and private collections, consolidating his position as a key figure in modern Catalan sculpture.