Joan Borrell

JOAN BORRELL NICOLAU (Pobla de Segur, 1888 - Barcelona, 1951).
"Portrait of Mercé Plantada", 1925.
Marble.
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 60 x 50 x 30 cm.
Exhibitions: MEAM "A century of Catalan sculpture", 2013. Reproduced in the catalog, page 132.

Made in 1925 and carved in marble, this portrait of Mercé Plantada is one of the most solid testimonies of the stage of full creative maturity of Joan Borrell. The work reveals Borrell's characteristic technical mastery in sculptural portraiture: anatomical precision without academic rigidity, control of the modeling and a studied expressive restraint that gives the figure a serene and dignified presence. The treatment of the marble, with its polished and luminous surface, is resolved with great sensitivity in areas such as the face and hair, where the transition between planes is softened to emphasize the psychological character over mere physical resemblance. Within the context of interwar Catalan sculpture, this portrait exemplifies the desire to combine refined realism and measured modernity, moving away from decorative excess to focus on the construction of a solid, human identity. It is, therefore, a particularly significant piece in Borrell's portrait production, with outstanding exhibition documentation and formal qualities that place it among his most important works.

The sculptor Juan Borrell Nocolau studied at La Llotja in Barcelona and in the workshop of the brothers Agapito and Venancio Vallmitjana. In 1909 he traveled to Paris, where he stayed for a few years, and in 1917 he settled in Madrid, although he kept an open workshop in Barcelona. From 1939 he settled in Palma de Mallorca. He is an artist who worked mainly with an expressive form of naturalistic type. His wide production was mainly developed in Barcelona, the Balearic Islands and Madrid, developing compositions for commemorative monuments, portraits, drawings, etc.
He regularly participated in exhibitions in the Sala Pares and in the Palace of Fine Arts in Barcelona and in several Spring exhibitions in the city, in the Crystal Palace in Madrid in 1926, in the Museum of Modern Art or in the Circle of Fine Arts, in Paris, etc. He was appointed member of the Royal Academy of San Jordi in 1950 presenting an exhibition of his works and a memoir entitled "Serenity, lasting value of the plastic arts".