GRANDE MATERNITÉ – LARGE MOTHER AND CHILD
1934
Medium : Iron, cast, welded
Dimensions : 130,5 x 41 x 23,5 cm
Grande maternité (“Large Maternity”) is a large-scale linear iron sculpture executed in 1934. Though it might not be obvious at first sight, the inspiration for this abstracted standing female figure are medieval Mother and Child scenes, representing the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms, which adorn many Gothic churches and cathedrals.
The elements of the body have been simplified and stylized, and “drawn in space” with metal rods according to González’s revolutionary technique. However, we can recognize in this work the same structure or internal dynamic that governs a Gothic sculpture on this theme. For example, the wide arc at the top that is slightly inclined towards earthly admirers outlines the rays of light streaming from the head. The dislocation of the figure’s vertical axis evokes the sinuous contrapposto, or shift of the hips, of the Gothic sculpture. Furthermore, a narrow, oblique cone formed by four iron rods schematically imitates the folds of her robe. At the top of this cone is the place of the child, who is missing. This absence is justified when one considers the medieval model González was drawing from, the vandalized Virgin that presides the entrance to the cloister on the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral, mentioned in his manuscript Picasso sculpteur et les cathedrales, in which the Christ child has been destroyed.
González was an enthusiast of Gothic art. Born in Barcelona in 1876, he experienced the euphoria of Catalan Modernism, a cultural movement with a strong neo-medieval component. This same neo-medievalism was the dominant style of the decorative metalwork produced in his father’s workshop. Young González was also a fervent admirer of Antoni Gaudí, the modern era’s most influential interpretor of the neo-Gothic style. In 1902, González tried unsuccessfully to be taken on in the restauration work led by Gaudí of the Palma de Mallorca cathedral.
González’s passion for Gothic art continued through the 1930s, when he wrote his unfinished book Picasso sculpteur et les cathédrales, in which he compares Picasso’s new metallic sculpture, created in collaboration with González himself, and Gothic cathedrals.
Grande maternité testifies to this passion for Gothic art which he uses to intensify and diversity his work in what was a very important year for his career. In addition to participating in prestigious collective shows in 1934, González was also featured in two personal exhibitions. The first took place from April to May in the galerie Percier, and the second in November, at the galerie Cahiers d’Art.
Grande maternité entered the Tate’s collection in 1970.
Adapted from a text by Tomas Llorens, and translated by Amanda Herold-Marme
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