Agustí Querol Subirats
Encyclopedia
Agustí Querol i Subirats (or Agustín Querol y Subirats) (May 17, 1860 — December 14, 1909) was a prominent Spanish
sculptor, born in Tortosa
, Catalonia
.
and moved to Barcelona
, where he worked as an apprentice at the studios of Domingo Talarn and of the Vallmitjana Brothers. He also attended sculpture classes at the Escola Provincial de Belles Arts (called colloquially “la Llotja”). He studied dissection
and anatomy
at the Hospital de la Santa Creu in Barcelona, then won a scholarship to study in Rome.
Based in Madrid
from 1890, he was responsible for a many monuments, sculptures, and project proposals through much of the Spanish-speaking world. Querol's work is characterized by the same romantic style, fluid modeling, wealth of detail and technical skill as his French fin de siècle
contemporaries like Jules Dalou
, but Querol's work is even more dynamic and profuse. The pediment for the Biblioteca Nacional de España
, for instance, is crowded with 19 separate figures. All of his major designs are equally busy.
Querol ran a relatively large studio. Among the apprentices in his studio were Lorenzo Coullaut Valera
and Jacinto Higueras. Querol also worked as a businessman, dealing in Carrara marble; was involved in art expositions; wrote literary pieces under the pseudonym El Plutarco del Pueblo, the "People's Plutarch"; served as vice-director of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Madrid
(1892-1895) and a Conservative
deputy
to the Cortes
(for Roquetes
); and was a man about town.
_madrid_05.jpg)
Querol died in Madrid, and is buried in San Justo in Madrid.
He left unfinished monuments in Tortosa, Buenos Aires
, Guayaquil
, and Montevideo
, which were later completed after his death. One example is the Monument De los Españoles in Buenos Aires
. The elaborate sculpture, representing a statue of Liberty on a tower, with an extensive frieze at the base, all of it set in a pool with fountains, surrounded by monumental bronze figures dedicated to the Constitution of Argentina and the country's regions, was designed before Querol's death. It was begun in 1910, assigned to a replacement sculptor Cipriano Folgueras who then died in 1911, and further delayed with the tragic 1916 loss of the trans-Atlantic steamer Prince of Asturias, which sank with the loss of 457 lives and a cargo of finished bronze and marble sculptures. The monument was finally completed in 1927.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
sculptor, born in Tortosa
Tortosa
-External links:* *** * * *...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
.
Life
Born to a poor family, the son of a baker, Querol was educated under Ramon Cerveto Bestraten (1829-1906). At the age of 18, he left his job at his father’s bakeryBakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
and moved to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, where he worked as an apprentice at the studios of Domingo Talarn and of the Vallmitjana Brothers. He also attended sculpture classes at the Escola Provincial de Belles Arts (called colloquially “la Llotja”). He studied dissection
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
and anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
at the Hospital de la Santa Creu in Barcelona, then won a scholarship to study in Rome.
Based in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
from 1890, he was responsible for a many monuments, sculptures, and project proposals through much of the Spanish-speaking world. Querol's work is characterized by the same romantic style, fluid modeling, wealth of detail and technical skill as his French fin de siècle
Fin de siècle
Fin de siècle is French for "end of the century". The term sometimes encompasses both the closing and onset of an era, as it was felt to be a period of degeneration, but at the same time a period of hope for a new beginning...
contemporaries like Jules Dalou
Jules Dalou
Aimé-Jules Dalou was a French sculptor, recognized as one of the most brilliant virtuosos of nineteenth-century France, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism.-Life:...
, but Querol's work is even more dynamic and profuse. The pediment for the Biblioteca Nacional de España
Biblioteca Nacional de España
The Biblioteca Nacional de España is a major public library, the largest in Spain.It is located in Madrid, on the Paseo de Recoletos.-History:...
, for instance, is crowded with 19 separate figures. All of his major designs are equally busy.
Querol ran a relatively large studio. Among the apprentices in his studio were Lorenzo Coullaut Valera
Lorenzo Coullaut Valera
Lorenzo Coullaut Valera was a Spanish sculptor. Born in Marchena, he grew up in Nantes where his family had moved. He studied at the Livet Lyceum and returned to Spain in 1893...
and Jacinto Higueras. Querol also worked as a businessman, dealing in Carrara marble; was involved in art expositions; wrote literary pieces under the pseudonym El Plutarco del Pueblo, the "People's Plutarch"; served as vice-director of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Madrid
Museum of Modern Art, Madrid
The Museum of Modern Art was the Spanish national museum dedicated to 19th and 20th century painting. It was set up in 1894...
(1892-1895) and a Conservative
Conservative Party
-Africa:*Conservative Party *Conservative Party *Conservative Party -Europe:*Conservative Party *Conservative Party of Armenia *Conservative Party *Conservative Party...
deputy
Deputy (legislator)
A deputy is a legislator in many countries, particularly those with legislatures styled as a 'Chamber of Deputies' or 'National Assembly'.-List of countries:This is an list of countries using the term 'deputy' or one of its cognates....
to the Cortes
Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate . The Cortes has power to enact any law and to amend the constitution...
(for Roquetes
Roquetes
Roquetes is a municipality in the comarca of Baix Ebre, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain....
); and was a man about town.
Querol died in Madrid, and is buried in San Justo in Madrid.
He left unfinished monuments in Tortosa, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, and Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, which were later completed after his death. One example is the Monument De los Españoles in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. The elaborate sculpture, representing a statue of Liberty on a tower, with an extensive frieze at the base, all of it set in a pool with fountains, surrounded by monumental bronze figures dedicated to the Constitution of Argentina and the country's regions, was designed before Querol's death. It was begun in 1910, assigned to a replacement sculptor Cipriano Folgueras who then died in 1911, and further delayed with the tragic 1916 loss of the trans-Atlantic steamer Prince of Asturias, which sank with the loss of 457 lives and a cargo of finished bronze and marble sculptures. The monument was finally completed in 1927.
Work
- figures of SaguntoSaguntoSagunto or Sagunt is an ancient city in Eastern Spain, in the modern fertile comarca of Camp de Morvedre in the province of Valencia. It is located in a hilly site, c. 30 km north of Valencia, close to the Costa del Azahar on the Mediterranean Sea...
or Suicides of Sagunto, 1888, originally placed in the Plaza San MartinPlaza San Martín (Buenos Aires)Plaza San Martín is a park located in the Retiro neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Situated at the northern end of pedestrianized Florida Street, the park is bounded by Libertador Ave. , Maipú St. , Santa Fe Avenue , and Leandro Alem Av....
, Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, now shown at the Buenos Aires Botanical GardenBuenos Aires Botanical GardenThe Buenos Aires Botanical Garden is located in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires in Argentina. The garden is triangular in shape, and is bounded by Sante Fé Avenue, Las Heras Avenue and República Árabe Siria Street... - finial figure of Spain with lion, two other figures and a full sculpted pediment, topping the Biblioteca Nacional de EspañaBiblioteca Nacional de EspañaThe Biblioteca Nacional de España is a major public library, the largest in Spain.It is located in Madrid, on the Paseo de Recoletos.-History:...
, Madrid, 1892-1903 - the mausoleum Guirao Pantheon, San Isidro Cemetery, Madrid, 1892
- Monument to Firemen, Colon Cemetery, HavanaColon Cemetery, HavanaThe Colon Cemetery or more fully in the Spanish language Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón was founded in 1876 in the Vedado neighbourhood of Havana, Cuba on top of Espada Cemetery. Named for Christopher Columbus, the 140 acre cemetery is noted for its many elaborately sculpted memorials...
, Cuba, 1897 - Monument to Francisco de QuevedoFrancisco de QuevedoFrancisco Gómez de Quevedo y Santibáñez Villegas was a Spanish nobleman, politician and writer of the Baroque era. Along with his lifelong rival, Luis de Góngora, Quevedo was one of the most prominent Spanish poets of the age. His style is characterized by what was called conceptismo...
, at the Glorieta de Quevedo roundabout, Madrid, 1902 - Monument to the Martyrs of the Plaza of Spain, ZaragozaZaragozaZaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, 1904 - white marble mausoleum of Antonio Cánovas del CastilloAntonio Cánovas del CastilloAntonio Cánovas del Castillo was a Spanish politician and historian known principally for his role in supporting the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy to the Spanish throne and for his death at the hands of an anarchist assassin, Michele Angiolillo.-Early career:Born in Málaga as the son of...
, at the Pantheon of Illustrious MenPantheon of Illustrious MenThe Pantheon of Illustrious Men is a royal site in Madrid, under the administration of the Patrimonio Nacional. It was designed by Spanish architect Fernando Arbós y Tremanti, and is located in Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Atocha in the Retiro section of Madrid.The pantheon houses the tombs of a...
, Madrid, 1906 - statue of Frederic Soler i Hubert (Pitarra Serafí), La Rambla, Barcelona, 1906
- Monument to Casilda de Iturrizar (the "Widow of Elpalza"), Doña Casilda Park, Bilboa, 1906
- three allegoric sculptural groups La Gloria y los Pegasos, consisting of a middle multi-figural group of Science, Art, and Glory flanked by two rampant pegasus figures, all originally atop the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Madrid, 1905. Middle figural group removed to the Glorieta de Cádiz roundabout in 1998
- Monument to the Siege of ZaragozaSiege of Saragossa (1808)The First Siege of Saragossa was a bloody struggle in the Peninsular War. A French army under General Jean-Antoine Verdier besieged, repeatedly stormed, and was repulsed from the Spanish city of Saragossa over the summer of 1808....
, ZaragozaZaragozaZaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, 1908 - statue of Segismundo MoretSegismundo MoretSegismundo Moret y Prendergast was a Spanish politician and writer.-Biography:He was born in Cádiz on 2 June 1833...
, CadizCádizCadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, 1909 - Tower monument, frieze, and bronze fountain figures at the Monument De los Españoles, also known as Monument to the Magna Carta, Avenida del LibertadorAvenida del LibertadorAvenida del Libertador is one of the principal thoroughfares in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in points north, extending 25 km from the Retiro District of Buenos Aires to the northern suburb of San Fernando.-History:...
at its intersection with Avenida del Sarmiento, Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, designed 1909, begun 1910 after Querol's death, finished 1927 - four pegasus-with-riders sculptures, installed on the roof of the Palacio de Bellas ArtesPalacio de Bellas ArtesThe Palacio de Bellas Artes is the most important cultural center in Mexico City as well as the rest of the country of Mexico...
, Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, originally from the Zocalo