Pablo Gargallo’s Masterpiece: The Prophet

Pablo Gargallo’s The Prophet

Creation and Influences

Date: 1933
Type: Free-standing
Material: Bronze
Style: Cubist
Theme: Power of Word, Truth
Location: Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofía

Pablo Gargallo emigrated with his family in 1888. He studied at the School of Arts and Crafts and associated with modernist artists in Barcelona. Modernism heavily influenced his early work. In 1903, he moved to Paris, where he connected with the avant-garde, notably Picasso. This led to a shift towards Cubism and Expressionism, creating sculptures from thin metal, characterized by the interplay of volume and void.

Description

The Prophet, Gargallo’s main work, depicts a human figure crafted from cut metal plates. The head, spine, and left leg form a central axis, from which the body extends. The metal sheets develop in space, making air integral to the sculpture. This creates a dynamic interplay of concave and convex shapes, full and empty spaces, resulting in a powerful emotional impact.

The arrangement of plates forming hair and clothing adds to the dynamic form, allowing viewers to engage with the sculpture from all angles. The curves and counter-curves of the metal plates accentuate the contrasts of light and shadow.

Theme

Gargallo imbues The Prophet with immense force and expressivity. The figure rises with a raised right arm and left hand gripping a support, conveying authority. The figure’s presence invites the viewer to follow, both physically and spiritually. More than a religious theme, it represents the strength of the word and the pursuit of truth.

Gargallo never saw The Prophet cast in bronze due to financial constraints. The sculpture summarizes many of his influences, including Picasso’s Cubism, Expressionism’s strength and sensitivity, and elements of primitive art.

Antonio Canova’s Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss

Overview

Title: Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss
Author: Antonio Canova
Date: 1787-1793
Location: Louvre Museum, Paris
Era: Neoclassicism

Commissioned by Colonel John Campbell, this sculpture later belonged to Napoleon, an admirer of Canova. Neoclassicism, with its focus on Greco-Roman art, emphasized rationality and formal perfection, contrasting with the Baroque and Rococo styles.

Formal Analysis

This marble sculpture group was carved and polished to achieve a smooth, delicate finish. The open composition of the two figures minimizes the sense of mass. The polished texture creates a homogeneous light, while the interplay of volumes generates contrasts, highlighting the imminent kiss.

The composition is complex, following a vane and circle scheme. Eros’s wings and Psyche’s body define the vane, while their arms create the circle. The sculpture balances movement and rest, with the dynamic vane contrasting with the circular stillness. The figures embody the classical ideal of beauty.

Interpretation

The sculpture depicts a scene from the myth of Cupid and Psyche, from Apuleius’s The Golden Ass. Cupid awakens Psyche, who had fallen into a death-like sleep after opening a jar given by Persephone to Aphrodite. The story is often interpreted as an allegory of love and the soul, symbolizing the soul’s liberation and love’s triumph over death.