Luisa Granero

LUISA GRANERO SIERRA (Barcelona, 1924-2012).
"Figura".
Bronze sculpture. Steel base.
Signed.
Provenance: artist's collection.
Work reproduced in the MEAM catalog "Luisa Granero. The strength of a woman", page 37.
Measurements: 120 x 45 x 45 cm.

This monumental sculpture is one of the most outstanding examples of Luisa Granero's mastery in the representation of the female figure, the central theme of all her production. The work shows a young woman in an introspective attitude, walking slowly towards the front while holding her hands behind her back. Granero manages to transform the solidity of bronze into softness and lyricism, achieving a perfect balance between monumentality and tenderness. The result is a piece full of serenity, intimacy and contained poetry.
The modeling, of extraordinary technical quality, is based on the synthesis of pure lines and rounded volumes that evoke the classical Mediterranean tradition and, at the same time, dialogue with the sculptural modernity of the twentieth century.

This is an exceptional work within Luisa Granero's production, both for its monumental character and for the quality and maturity of her sculptural language. 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 Spanish sculpture in the 20th century.

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.