Josep Viladomat

JOSEP VILADOMAT MASSANAS (Manlleu, Barcelona, 1899 – Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra, 1989).
“Il Contino.” (Tribute to Mariá Fortuny).
Bronze.
Signed on the base.
Marble pedestal.
Measurements: 37 x 10 x 10 cm; 40 cm (height including pedestal).

Trained in Barcelona, where he worked as a stonemason and collaborated in the workshops of Eusebi Arnau, Rafael Atché, and Joan Borrell, Viladomat was a founding member in 1917 of the group Els Evolucionistes, alongside Rebull and Granyer. The group reacted against Modernism in favor of a realism with Mediterranean roots, inspired by Catalan Baroque, Maillol, and classical Greek sculpture. After winning first prize at the 1923 Barcelona Municipal Exhibition for his *Maternidad*, he traveled to Italy and Paris, cementing a career marked by successes and accolades. The creator of numerous public monuments—such as the one dedicated to Fortuny in Reus or *La Puntaire* on Montjuïc—he developed a realistic style with a Mediterranean character, featuring elements influenced by Donatello and a keen attention to detail.

His work is currently represented at the National Art Museum of Catalonia and the Escaldes-Engordany Art Center, where a significant portion of his sculptural legacy is preserved.