Luisa Granero

LUISA GRANERO SIERRA (Barcelona, 1924-2012).
"Rest".
Sculpture in Carrara marble.
Signed.
Provenance: artist's collection.
Work reproduced in the MEAM catalog "Luisa Granero. The strength of a woman", page 56.
Measurements: 32 x 64 x 23 cm.

This serene female nude is one of the most outstanding examples of Luisa Granero's mastery in the representation of the female figure, a central theme in all her work. In it, the artist displays a plastic language of classical roots, based on beauty, proportion, serenity and balance. However, beyond these references, Granero establishes a dialogue with the avant-garde through a process of purification and formal synthesis that eliminates the accessory and anecdotal, in search of the essential: the timeless that connects the archaic world with the sensitivity of the twentieth century.

Sculptures of this category have hardly ever reached the market, which gives this piece a singular value within the trajectory of the artist and of 20th century Spanish sculpture.

Luisa Granero was one of the most outstanding sculptors of 20th century Spain. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de Sant Jordi, where she had Jaume Otero and Enric Monjo as teachers, she soon showed an exceptional mastery of figuration, which led her to become, years later, the first woman professor of sculpture in Spain and a doctor from the University of Barcelona in 1983. In 1950 she obtained a scholarship in Paris, where she came into contact with the work of Maillol, Despiau and Zadkine. These influences, together with the Mediterranean tradition, marked a very personal style that combined classicism and modernity, endowing the stone with intimacy, lyricism and humanity. His production revolved around the exaltation of the female figure, worked with sober lines, contained monumentality and an intimate poetry that define his language. Granero was a member of the Royal Academies of San Fernando (Madrid), Santa Isabel de Hungría (Seville) and Sant Jordi (Barcelona), as well as a member of the National Sculpture Society of New York since 1973. His career was distinguished with awards such as the City of Barcelona or the Autocugat Art in 2009. He left a deep mark on public space, with sculptures in Barcelona, Zaragoza and Palma de Mallorca. Among her most emblematic works are the reliefs of the Faculty of Law of the University of Barcelona and the monument to Pau Casals. Her international projection led her to show her work in open-air exhibitions in places such as Malcesine Castle (Italy, 2004) or Sitges (2007).

Today, Luisa Granero's work is recognized as an essential reference of 20th century Mediterranean modernity: an art that combines constructive solidity, tactile sensitivity and a deep humanist sense.