Josep Llimona

JOSEP LLIMONA BRUGUERA (Barcelona, 1864 - 1934).
"Florentine pageboy", c 1890.
Marble.
Measurements: 92 x 39 x 53 cm.
Exhibitions: MEAM "A century of Catalan sculpture", 2013. Reproduced in the catalog, page 88. MEAM "Josep Llimona", 2015. Reproduced in the catalog, p. 103.

Coming from an early but decisive stage in Josep Llimona's career, this "Florentine Pageboy" from around 1890 constitutes an exceptional work within his production, rarely available on the market and endorsed by its double institutional presence at the MEAM, both in the exhibition "A century of Catalan sculpture" (2013) and in the monographic dedicated to the artist in 2015, where it was reproduced in the catalog. Carved in marble with remarkable technical precision, the piece reveals the sculptor's mastery in the treatment of the youthful body and in the careful definition of the decorative elements of the attire, resolved with restrained elegance. The balance between idealization and naturalism, the stable composition and the neatness of the surface finish place the work among the most refined works of his formative period. The inclusion of the dog not only adds compositional complexity, but also reinforces the narrative and courtly character of the whole, in keeping with the historicist taste of the late 19th century. Within the context of Catalan sculpture of the period, the "Florentine Pageboy" is part of the phase prior to Llimona's full symbolism, when the artist assimilated the academic tradition and romantic sensibility to evolve towards his own personal language. Its solid expository documentation and quality of execution make it a piece of great historical and collectible interest.

Josep Llimona is remembered as the most important Catalan sculptor of modernism. Trained at the Llotja School in Barcelona, he obtained the pension to go to Rome in 1880. During his stay in Italy he was influenced by Florentine Renaissance sculpture. With the works he sent from there he obtained prizes (gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of Barcelona in 1888), as well as a great reputation. With his brother Joan he founded the Círculo Artístico de Sant Lluc, a Catalan artistic association of religious character (the two brothers were deep believers). Towards the middle of the 90's his style already drifts towards full modernism. He received the prize of honor at the International Exhibition of Fine Arts held in 1907 in Barcelona. From 1900 he focused on his famous female nudes, and in 1914 he created, in collaboration with Gaudí, his impressive "Resurrected Christ". His artistic genius also manifested itself in large public monuments such as the equestrian statue of St. Jordi in Montjuic Park in Barcelona, as well as in works of funerary imagery, such as the pantheons he created for several cemeteries. In addition to exhibiting in Barcelona and other Catalan cities, he exhibited his work in Madrid, Brussels, Paris, Buenos Aires and Rosario (Argentina). He was president of the Board of Museums of Barcelona between 1918 and 1924, and again from 1931 until his death in 1934. Throughout his life he received numerous decorations, including those awarded by the governments of France and Italy. He also received the Gold Medal of the City of Barcelona in 1932, in recognition of his extraordinary work in the development of museum activity. Llimona's work is preserved in the Monastery of Montserrat, the National Art Museum of Catalonia and the Reina Sofia Museum, among others.