Desolation (Llimona) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Desolation |
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|---|---|
| Artist | Josep Llimona |
| Year | 1907 |
| Type | sculpture |
| Dimensions | 66.4 cm × 78.8 cm (26.1 in × 31.0 in) |
| Location | Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona |
Desolation is a famous sculpture created by Josep Llimona in 1907. You can find this beautiful artwork at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain. It's a key piece in their collection.
Contents
Understanding the Artist's Style
Josep Llimona was a well-known sculptor from the Catalan Modernism art movement. Around the early 1900s, he became interested in Symbolism. This art style focused on showing ideas and feelings rather than just real-life scenes. Llimona's strong beliefs influenced his art.
How Desolation Shows Symbolism
Desolation is a great example of Modernisme sculpture. It shows the main features of Symbolism that many Catalan sculptors used. These features include:
- Smooth, flowing lines
- Soft edges
These ideas came from another famous sculpture called The Danaide by Auguste Rodin. However, Desolation is different. While Rodin's work often showed energy and strong feelings, Llimona's Desolation shows a calm, sad, and pure feeling. With this sculpture, Llimona wanted to create a new kind of art that fit the Symbolist style of Catalan Modernism.
Exploring the Sculpture's Details
Desolation was originally made for a burial place in the Montjuic Cemetery. The sculpture is about 67 centimeters (26.4 inches) tall, 76 centimeters (29.9 inches) wide, and 67 centimeters (31.5 inches) deep.
Sculptures for Burial Sites
This sculpture is part of a group of artworks made for new burial monuments in the early 1900s. Artists often created sculptures of angels or "Virtues." These figures were usually women who looked sad or showed feelings like despair or resignation. The goal was to capture deep emotions, not just beauty.
These sculptures often featured:
- Gentle, bowed female figures
- Long hair
- Flowing clothes
Even though this style wasn't used in every artwork, female figures were very common. Their look also influenced other sculptures that modernist artists made for art collectors. These later works kept the artistic style but removed the burial themes.
The Emotion of Desolation
The most striking thing about Desolation is how easily it shows inner feelings. The sculpture looks mysterious and private because of its pose. The figure's hidden gaze, closed body shape, and curved lines make it seem wrapped up in its own quiet sadness.
Journey Through History
The original Desolation sculpture is now at The National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC). This artwork won a gold medal at the V Exposition of Fine Arts of Barcelona in 1907. That same year, a picture of the sculpture was in the catalog for the International Exhibit of Art in Barcelona.
In 1909, the mayor of Barcelona, Domènec Sanllehy, bought Desolation. He then gave it to The Museum of Modern Art of Barcelona. Later, the statue was moved to the Modern Art gallery of The National Museum of Contemporary Art of Catalonia, where it is today.
Exploring the Replicas
Josep Llimona made several copies of Desolation using different materials.
Bronze Replica
One replica is made of bronze and is a bit larger than the original. It was shown at an art exhibition in 1934 that celebrated Josep Llimona's work.
Stone Replica
Another replica is made of stone. In this version, the female figure is clothed. This sculpture is the same size as the original. It is part of a burial monument for Mercedes Casas de Vilanova. You can find this stone version of Desolation at the Southeast Cemetery in Barcelona.
Marble Replica
In 1917, Josep Llimona created a second marble replica. This one is much larger than the original, measuring about 78.8 centimeters (31.0 inches) by 68.8 centimeters (27.1 inches). Over time, this marble sculpture was damaged. In 1984, it was replaced by a plaster copy. This sculpture is the main feature of a pond in front of the Parliament of Catalonia in the Ciutadella park.
Boston Replica
There is also a replica of Desolation in the Kelleher Rose Garden in the Back Bay Fens in Boston, USA. This copy was given to Boston in 1986 because Boston is one of Barcelona's sister cities.
See also
In Spanish: Desconsuelo para niños
