Pablo Gargallo was a highly recognized Aragonese sculptor and painter.
He was born in 1881 in a small town near my city and passed away in 1934.
He is considered one of the most important and innovative sculptors of the 20th century, throughout his artistic life he combined classicism with experimentation.
Throughout his career he simultaneously maintained two apparently very different styles: a classic one, related to modernism in its beginnings and to noucentisme, and an avant-garde style in which he experimented with the disintegration of space and shapes and new materials.
At the entrance to the museum dedicated to his work in my city, there are two horsemen, known by “The Olympic salute”. Both are equestrian sculptures in the tradition of the best classical art, but updated, in an Art Deco fashion. The measurements are: Classic Athlete (290×90 cm.) and Modern Athlete (308 x95cm).
The sculptures were inaugurated on October 5, 1986 and are a replica of the originals by Gargallo that are located in the Montjuich Stadium in Barcelona, sculpted between 1928 and 1929 commissioned by the Barcelona International Exhibition.
In the street that leads to the entrance of the museum you can find some more of his works, such as the shepherd of the Eagle.
It represents a half-naked shepherd who protects his flock from the attack of an eagle by raising his left arm as a barrier, while with his right hand he calms a lamb that rests its front legs on the shepherd’s legs.
Anvica's gallery 