Josep Maria Subirachs

JOSEP MARIA SUBIRACHS (Barcelona, 1927–2014).
“Llull,” 1981. 2015 edition.
Polyester resin with electrolytic bronze plating. Number 850/999.
Signed and numbered on the piece.
Edition produced by Enciclopèdia Catalana based on the model preserved by Espai Subirachs.
Accompanied by a certificate issued by Espai Subirachs and Enciclopèdia Catalana, dated in Barcelona in November 2015.
Comes with the original wooden box and the book *Subirachs*, featuring texts by Francesc Fontbona, Daniel Giralt-Miracle, and Judit Subirachs-Burgaya.
In good condition.
Measurements: 16.4 x 35.5 x 9.1 cm.

Originally created in 1981, “Llull” revisits one of the most enduring themes within Subirachs’s symbolic universe: Ramon Llull’s “Ladder of Understanding.” The sculptor had already addressed this concept in the monument dedicated to the philosopher in Montserrat, created in 1976–77, and later incorporated the staircase as a recurring motif within his artistic language.

In the work, the terms “Pedra,” “Flama,” “Planta,” “Bèstia,” “Home,” “Cel,” “Àngel,” and “Déu” are arranged across eight ascending rungs, reflecting the Lullian hierarchy that leads from the material world to the spiritual realm. This conceptual arrangement contrasts with the face modeled in relief and the rough, irregular surfaces—characteristic techniques of Subirachs, who frequently combined figure, writing, geometry, and texture.

Josep Maria Subirachs was one of the leading figures in Catalan sculpture during the second half of the 20th century. After an early phase rooted in the Noucentista movement and a subsequent evolution toward Expressionism and abstraction, beginning in the mid-1960s he developed a new figurative style with strong symbolic and conceptual content. Among his major public works are the monument to Ramon Llull in Montserrat and, since 1986, the extensive sculptural program on the Passion Facade of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. His work is represented in institutions such as the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), the MACBA, the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, and the Vatican Museums.