Gonzalez, Julio

This is the inaugural volume of a planned seven-volume catalogue raisonné on the Spanish sculptor Julio González (1876–1942). The son of a goldsmith in Barcelona, González studied painting and sculpture from an early age. Upon moving to Paris in 1900, he joined the company of fellow Spanish artists such as Juan Gris, Pablo Gargallo and Pablo Picasso. Today, González is primarily known for his work in welded iron. Abstracted figures such his “’Monsieur’ Cactus” (1939) show a connection to the Cubist sculptures of Picasso, with whom González worked closely from the 1920s onward. Credited with introducing Picasso to welded sculpture, González was also an important influence on the American Abstract Expressionist sculptor David Smith. This monumental project is published in collaboration with the Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno in Spain, which possesses the largest collection of González’s work.