Agapit Vallmitjana

AGAPIT VALLMITJANA I ABARCA (Barcelona, 1850–1915).
“Lion Hunter”.
Polychrome terracotta.
Signed on the lower right.
Measurements: 37 x 26 x 25.5 cm.
A smaller version of the work “Lion Hunter” created by Agapit Vallmitjana in 1883, currently located in Barcelona’s Ciutadella Park. Other terracotta examples are preserved in collections such as that of the National Art Museum of Catalonia. On September 21, 1883, Agapit Vallmitjana’s sculpture “The Lion Hunter” (also known as “The African”) was installed in Ciutadella Park. Made of marble and commissioned by the City Council, the sculpture won a medal at the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Madrid in 1884. Vallmitjana specialized in creating sculptures depicting animals, such as the lions on the main staircase of the Palace of the Generalitat of Catalonia or those on the Columbus Monument in Barcelona.
The son of fellow sculptor Venanci Vallmitjana i Barbany, and his student at the La Llotja School in Barcelona, Agapit Vallmitjana began his career in 1883 when he opened a studio with his father, where he also exhibited his works. Later, he combined his artistic work with teaching, which he began in 1902 at La Llotja. He was known above all for his work in the animal genre, having created numerous sculptural groups featuring wild beasts, especially lions. He gained recognition at the National Fine Arts Exhibitions, winning third- and second-class medals in the 1884 and 1908 editions. His work is currently represented in the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid, the Diocesan Museum of Barcelona, and the Palace of the Generalitat of Catalonia, and he has public monuments in Barcelona, Madrid, and Valencia.