Rossend Nobas

ROSSEND NOBAS I BALLBÉ (Barcelona, 1841-1891).
"Popular Character", 1872.
Watercolor on paper.
Presents humidity stains.
Measurements: 32 x 22 cm; 54 x 44 cm (frame).

Rossend Nobas was an outstanding Catalan goldsmith and sculptor, considered one of the greatest exponents of realism and naturalism in the sculpture of the 19th century. Trained at the Escuela de la Lonja under the tutelage of the Vallmitjana brothers, Nobas began his career as a chiseler in the Masriera workshop before establishing himself as a sculptor with a virtuoso and detailed technique. He achieved great fame with his work Wounded Bullfighter (1871), awarded at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts, and left a deep mark on the urban landscape of Barcelona with monumental works such as the Quadriga de la Aurora in the Parque de la Ciudadela, the monument to Juan Güell y Ferrer and the emblematic statue of Rafael Casanova. His workshop was also an important teaching center where sculptors of the stature of Josep Llimona and Manel Fuxà were trained, consolidating a legacy that today is preserved in institutions such as the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC).