Monsieur Cactus, Homme Cactus I
août 1939 / 1964
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Monsieur Cactus, Homme Cactus I
août 1939 / 1964
Cactus Man is a prickly, provocative figure that symbolises the resistance of Catalan peasants to Francoism during the Spanish Civil War.
Gonzalez imagined this sculpture at a time when Barcelona, the town of his birth, had been conquered by Franco's nationalist army. Having an affinity for rural life, the sculptor combined the body of a peasant with a cactus, a plant that is armed to protect itself and survive in difficult conditions. This anthropomorphic statue is reminiscent of African nail fetishes but also some of Picasso's sculptures. With its legs in the form of cactus, its right arm raised vertically, its rifle-barrel fingers and its erect phallus, this black figure -originally made of welded iron and later cast in bronze- seems to be an invincible force.
Domain | Sculpture |
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Techniques | Bronze |
Dimensions | 64,5 x 25 x 15 cm |
Acquisition | Don de Mme Roberta González, 1964 |
Inventory no. | AM 1429 S |
Detailed description
Artist |
Julio González
(1876, Espagne - 1942, France) |
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Main title | Monsieur Cactus, Homme Cactus I |
Creation date | août 1939 / 1964 |
With | Fondeur Fondeur : Valsuani |
Domain | Sculpture |
Techniques | Bronze |
Dimensions | 64,5 x 25 x 15 cm |
Printing | H.C. 1964 |
Inscriptions | INSC.B.DR. : GONZALEZ (c) / H.C. |
Acquisition | Don de Mme Roberta González, 1964 |
Collection area | Arts Plastiques - Moderne |
Inventory no. | AM 1429 S |