Desolation

Before the end of the 19th century, Modernisme, the Spanish version of Art Nouveau, was introduced in Catalonia by Jos� Llimona and Miguel Blay (1866-1936), whose poetic, non-narrative works marked the transition to 20th-century styles.

Considered one of the finest sculptors of Catalan Modernism sculpture, Llimona joined the Symbolism movement during the first few years of the twentieth century after a phase in which he had adopted an idealism deeply rooted in his solid religious convictions.

Desolation, a paradigm of Modernisme sculpture, magisterially represents the formal traits of Symbolism as adopted by the outstanding Catalan sculptors of the day. These traits include undulating lines and softened contours, features that derive from The Danaide by Auguste Rodin. Even so, a notable difference exists between the resigned, melancholic and chaste attitude of Desolation and the vitality, strength and sensuality of the French sculptor’s work. With Desolation, Llimona brought his process of sculptural renewal to a peak while also summing up the Symbolist aesthetic of one of Catalan art’s most brilliant periods.