Josep Maria Subirachs

JOSEP MARIA SUBIRACHS (Barcelona, 1927–2014).
“The Column,” 1993.
Indian ink on paper.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 68 x 42 cm; 86 x 60 cm (frame).

“The Column” encapsulates Subirachs’ interest in architecture understood as a sculptural and symbolic form. A column of striking verticality rises from a stepped base and is contained within a large arch, while its upper end appears abruptly interrupted. The intense interplay of ink lines and hatching creates depth and areas of shadow, lending the work a monumentality that transcends the dimensions of the paper.

The work belongs to the artist’s period of full maturity, when he was immersed in the extensive sculptural program for the Passion façade of the Sagrada Família, a commission begun in 1986 to which he would devote more than twenty years. Although it should not necessarily be considered a preparatory study for the church, the drawing reflects the close relationship between sculpture and architecture that characterized his work during that period.

Josep Maria Subirachs was a key figure in Catalan sculpture during the second half of the 20th century. His career spanned sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and numerous monumental projects; among these, the Monument to Francesc Macià and the extensive sculptural program for the Passion Facade of the Sagrada Família stand out. His work is represented at the Reina Sofía Center, the Museums of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, the Vatican, Taipei, and Nebraska, the Musée du Petit Palais in Geneva, and the Millesgärden in Stockholm, among others.