Eusebi Arnau

EUSEBI ARNAU MASCORT (Barcelona, 1864–1933).
"Ave Maria," ca. 1891.
Bronze.
Measurements: 92 x 35 x 36 cm; 98 cm (height including base).

The sculptor Eusebi Arnau trained at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona and was a student of José Gamot. Beginning in 1887, he continued his studies in Rome thanks to a scholarship from the Escuela de La Lonja. He later furthered his training at the Académie Julian in Paris, exhibiting his works at the Salon in the French capital in 1895 and 1902. He later opened his own studio in Barcelona, where he taught students such as Pablo Gargallo and Josep Dunyach. Arnau completed numerous commissions, including the altarpiece for the Basilica of Santa Engracia in Zaragoza, where he worked alongside Josep Llimona. Furthermore, his architectural sculptures established him as a leading Modernist sculptor. Examples include those created for the Lleó Morera and Amatller houses, the Hotel España, the Palau de la Música Catalana, and the Hospital de San Pablo, all in Barcelona. He was also a regular collaborator with architect Enric Sagnier Villavecchia, with whom he worked on the Port of Barcelona Customs House, the Ruper Garriga House, the Stations of the Cross at Montserrat, the Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Heart, the Sacred Heart Parish Church in Poblenou, the Caixa de Pensions branch in Reus, and other projects. He also distinguished himself as a medal designer, creating, among others, the medal for the 1888 Barcelona World’s Fair, the Catalan Solidarity medal, the Columbus Centennial medal, and the commemorative medal marking the demolition of Barcelona’s city walls. Throughout his life, Arnau participated in numerous exhibitions in Spain as well as in Chicago, Mexico City, and Paris. He was awarded a bronze medal at the 1888 Barcelona World’s Fair, an honorary diploma at the 1891 Barcelona Fine Arts Exhibition, and a prize at the 1896 exhibition; an honorable mention in sculpture at the 1899 National Exhibition in Madrid, a first-class medal in decorative arts at the 1908 National Exhibition, a gold medal from the Barcelona Artistic Circle at the 1911 International Art Exhibition, and a third-class medal at the 1912 National Exhibition. Today, public monuments by Arnau can be found in Barcelona, Madrid, and Villafranca, and other works of his are located in Barcelona, Comillas, and Zaragoza. His work is also represented in the National Art Museum of Catalonia.