Sculpture by Frederic Marès: "Minerva"
Sculpture by Frederic Marès: "Minerva"
Exhibition of a sculpture by Frederic Marès in the museum's Patio window :
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Minerva
1930
Frederic Marès
(Portbou, 1893- Barcelona, 1991)
Bronze
MFM 3095
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A large copy of this sculpture is preserved in the alcove at the top of the old Banc de Vizcaya building located in Plaça de Catalunya in Barcelona, on the corner with Carrer de Rivadeneyra, inaugurated in 1931. Frederic Marès was commissioned to decorate the building with this figure and two reliefs for the lobby, representing Industry and Commerce. The choice of Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, the arts and war – heir to the Greek Athena – was not accidental, as she was often placed in bank buildings.
Frederic Marès used a sculpture of Minerva made by himself and presented at the "Art Exhibition" in Barcelona in 1920. He represented her standing and dressed in a cuirass and a tunic, with folds of a very marked verticality, which fall from the waist to the feet. He wears his usual attributes: helmet, spear and shield, and keeps a serious face, directing his gaze to the horizon. This Minerva, like other sculptures made by Marès during this period, is part of the noucentista aesthetic.
Schedule : From Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a. m. To 7:00 p. m. Sundays and public holidays from 11:00 a. m. To 8:00 p. m