Enric Casanovas

ENRIC CASANOVAS ROY (Barcelona, 1882–1948).
“Female Bust,” c. 1920.
Bronze.
Measurements: 44 x 16 x 19 cm.
Exhibitions: MEAM “A Century of Catalan Sculpture,” 2013. Reproduced in the catalog, p. 156.

The work embodies the formal characteristics of the Noucentista movement: the search for an idealized beauty with Mediterranean roots, compositional balance, and a serene, restrained expressiveness. The young woman has a timeless, absorbed gaze, with eyes rendered without pupils in the manner of ancient Greek art. The structure of the face is defined by clean planes and soft volumes, where the gathered hair gently frames the head in a harmonious geometry. The bronze surface features a carefully applied dark patina with greenish hues that catches the light evenly, enhancing the bust’s profound serenity.

The sculptor Enric Casanovas was one of the leading figures of Catalan “Noucentisme,” and his work is characterized by a monumental quality inspired by archaic Greek sculpture. He began his training as a student of Josep Llimona (1896), and subsequently enrolled in the La Lonja School in Barcelona (1900). In 1900, he made his first trip to Paris, and upon his return, he exhibited his work at Els Quatre Gats (1903). His first participation in an exhibition was at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Zaragoza in 1898. Between 1904 and 1913, he lived between Paris and Barcelona, associating with Picasso, Maillol, and Gargallo, among other artists. Upon his return to Barcelona, he opened a studio, which was frequented by prominent figures such as Rebull, Fenosa, Granyer, and Viladomat. In 1910, he participated in the first exhibition of “Les Arts i els Artistes,” an association of which he would later become president. That same year, he exhibited at the Faianç Català, and shortly thereafter traveled to London and Belgium (1912). Around this time, he joined the team at the School of Decoration directed by Joaquín Torres-García (1914). In 1920, he was granted a special gallery at the Fine Arts Exhibition, and in 1922, he participated in the Exhibition of Catalan Artists in Amsterdam. Five years later, he exhibited his work in Italy, and in 1929 he won the gold medal at the Barcelona World’s Fair. In 1932, he was admitted to the San Jorge Academy of Fine Arts, and in 1935 he received the Campeny Prize from the Generalitat de Catalunya. After serving as director of the Tossa Museum from 1936 onward, he lived in exile in France from 1939 to 1943, though he ultimately spent his final years in his native Barcelona. Casanovas created works for both private collectors and public commissions, a prime example of which is his “Female Figure” in Barcelona’s Plaza Cataluña. His works are currently housed in the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Municipal Museum of Tossa de Mar, the Jaume Morera Art Museum in Lleida, the Luis Perlotti Sculpture Museum in Buenos Aires, and the MACBA.