Julio González (1876-1942)
Tête de Montserrat n° 2
(Head of Montserrat No. 2)

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), followed by the Second World War (1939-1945), marked the beginning of a new chapter in González’s work.

Between 1938 and 1942, González produced a series of four sculptures and approximately 100 drawings dedicated to the Virgin of Montserrat, historically a symbol of revolt. González began to move away from his studies on form to create more realistic images and visual allegories of grief and mourning. Masque de Montserrat criant is striking in its interpretation of the motif of the scream, while Tête de Montserrat n°2, produced in the aftermath of the Civil War, would act as a preparatory study for a more realistic bronze statue, completed in 1942.

Head of Montserrat No.
Julio González
Chinese ink on paper
Centre Pompidou, Paris
Musée National d'Art Moderne/Centre de Création Industrielle
Inventory no. AM 1910 D, donated by Ms. Roberta González in 1956
Localisation : Paris, Centre Pompidou - Musée national d'art moderne - Centre de création
industrielle, Don de Mme Roberta González, 1956
© Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Bertrand Prévost