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El guitarrista [The Guitarist]

Primary (La Plata, Argentina, 1891–Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1962)
NationalityArgentinean, South America
Date1921 - 1924
MediumBronze with black patina
DimensionsAdditional Dimension: 13 1/2 × 8 7/8 × 7 1/4 in. (34.3 × 22.5 × 18.4 cm)
Credit LineBlanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Archer M. Huntington Museum Fund, 1982.1249
Collection AreaLatin American Art
Object number1982.1249
On View
On view
Locations
  • exhibition  BMA, Gallery, C3 - Lowe Foundation Gallery
Label Text
Pablo Curatela Manes, like many Argentine artists of his generation, lived in Europe and immersed himself in the avant-garde. His admiration for both Renaissance art and Cubist sculpture led him to find his own artistic voice. In "The Guitarist," one of his first Cubist works, Curatella Manes transformed musician and instrument into a series of clearly defined yet simplified geometric solids. The artist sought a modern classicism, balancing figuration and abstraction, solidity and movement. The apparent heaviness of the bronze makes the figure stable, while the distribution of volumes follows a syncopated rhythm that reinforces the musical theme.
Pablo Curatella Manes, like many Argentine artists of his generation, lived in Europe and immersed himself in the avant-garde. His admiration for both Renaissance art and Cubist sculpture led him to find his own artistic voice. In El guitarrista, one of his first Cubist works, Curatella Manes transformed musician and instrument into a series of clearly defined yet simplified geometric shapes. The artist sought a modern classicism, balancing figuration and abstraction, solidity and movement. The apparent heaviness of the bronze makes the figure stable, while the distribution of volumes follows a syncopated rhythm that reinforces the musical theme. 
Exhibitions