Joan González

Joan González began his career as a decorative metalworker in the family workshop in Barcelona, like his brother, Julio. The two took painting and drawing classes together in the evenings, as they shared the dream of becoming “real” artists.

When their father died, Joan and Julio decided to sell the family business and pursue their shared dream in Paris. The entire González family moved to Montparnasse, which became the center of the Parisian avant-garde. Outgoing and sociable by nature, Joan facilitated the brothers’ integration into the artistic milieu.

Joan went on to exhibit his poetic drawings at the Salon d’Automne in 1904, the Salon Parés in Barcelona in 1906 and the Salon des Indépendants in 1908. But he succumbed to his frail health in 1908, cutting his promising career short.

Years later, in 1957, his niece Roberta discovered a cache of his works in the family home. She decided to donate his works to leading institutions such as the Louvre Museum (Paris) and the Tate Modern (London) and the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (Barcelona).