Josep Reynés

JOSEP REYNÉS GURGUÍ (Barcelona, 1850–1926).
“Female Bust.”
Patinated terracotta.
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 73 x 35 x 26 cm.
The sculptor Josep Reynés trained at the Escuela de La Lonja in Barcelona, where his teachers were the brothers Venanci and Agapit Vallmitjana. He then moved to Paris to further his studies in Carpeaux’s studio, remaining in the French capital from 1873 to 1876. Upon his return, his reputation would continue to grow, with a body of work characterized by an emphatic and anecdotal virtuosity very typical of the era, marked by a clear influence from his French mentor. Reynés was a sculptor who lived through the Modernist era to the fullest, although his sculpture is classified as Realism; nevertheless, his artistic language reveals some subtle Modernist traits, such as his Catalan national sentiment—which is reflected in the motifs of much of his work—or the delicate treatment of his figures, marked by exquisite refinement. As an example, we can observe a fine piece that reflects his delicate sensibility: the vase-shaped fountain with children and flowers, which dates from his early days as a sculptor (1882) and is located in Barcelona’s Ciutadella Park; despite being from his early years, it is considered one of his finest sculptures. He participated in official competitions and exhibitions, and in 1890 he was awarded first prize at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid for “The Violinist.” Among his works, in addition to the aforementioned fountain in Ciutadella Park, “The Ascension of Jesus” for the Monumental Rosary of Montserrat (1903) and the relief “Barcelona Welcomes the Nations” (1887, Arc de Triomf, Barcelona), a sculptural frieze built as the entrance to the 1888 World’s Fair. He also created notable monuments depicting illustrious figures, such as those dedicated to El Greco and Dr. Robert in Sitges, and to Roger de Llúria in Barcelona. He also created mausoleums and pantheons, including those of Antoni Serra Ferrer and M. Obert Aldufeu (both from 1902, in Sitges), and was active in interior design as well. His brother, Antoni Reynés (Barcelona, 1853–1910), was a painter.