Agustí Querol Subirats
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Agustí Querol i Subirats (or ''Agustín Querol y Subirats'') (May 17, 1860 – December 14, 1909) was a prominent
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
, born in
Tortosa Tortosa (, ) is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the hi ...
,
Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
.


Life

Born to a poor family, the son of a baker, Querol was educated under Ramon Cerveto Bestraten (1829–1906). At the age of 18, he left his job at his father’s
bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based baked goods made in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, bagels, Pastry, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as Coffeehouse, cafés, servi ...
and moved to
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, where he worked as an
apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...
at the studios of
Domingo Talarn Domingo may refer to: People *Domingo (name), a Spanish name and list of people with that name *Domingo (producer) (born 1970), American hip-hop producer *Saint Dominic (1170–1221), Castilian Catholic priest, founder of the Friars popularly cal ...
and of the Vallmitjana Brothers. He also attended sculpture classes at the Escola Provincial de Belles Arts (called colloquially “la Llotja”). He studied
dissection Dissection (from Latin ' "to cut to pieces"; also called anatomization) is the dismembering of the body of a deceased animal or plant to study its anatomical structure. Autopsy is used in pathology and forensic medicine to determine the cause of ...
and
anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...
at the Hospital de la Santa Creu in Barcelona, then won a scholarship to study in Rome. Based in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
from 1890, he was responsible for many monuments, sculptures, and project proposals through much of the Spanish-speaking world. Querol's work is characterized by the same romantic style, fluid modeling, wealth of detail and technical skill as his French ''
fin de siècle "''Fin de siècle''" () is a French term meaning , a phrase which typically encompasses both the meaning of the similar English idiom '' turn of the century'' and also makes reference to the closing of one era and onset of another. Without co ...
'' contemporaries like
Jules Dalou Aimé-Jules Dalou (; 31 December 183815 April 1902) was a 19th-century French sculptor, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism. Early life Born in Paris to a working-class family of Huguenot background, he was rais ...
, but Querol's work is even more dynamic and profuse. The pediment for the
Biblioteca Nacional de España The (National Library of Spain) is the national library of Spain. It is the largest public library in the country, and one of the largest in the world. Founded in 1711, it is an autonomous agency attached to the Ministry of Culture since 1 ...
, for instance, is crowded with 19 separate figures. All of his major designs are equally busy. Querol ran a relatively large studio. Among the apprentices in his studio were
Lorenzo Coullaut Valera Lorenzo Coullaut Valera (1876 – 1932) was a Spanish sculptor. Born in Marchena, he grew up in Nantes where his family had moved. He studied at the Livet Lyceum and returned to Spain in 1893. At Seville, he studied at the studios of and ...
and Jacinto Higueras. Querol also worked as a businessman, dealing in
Carrara marble Carrara marble, or Luna marble (''marmor lunense'') to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara ...
; was involved in art expositions; wrote literary pieces under the pseudonym ''El Plutarco del Pueblo'', the "People's Plutarch"; served as vice-director of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Madrid (1892–1895) and a
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...
to the
Cortes Cortes, Cortés, Cortês, Corts, or Cortès may refer to: People * Cortes (surname), including a list of people with the name ** Hernán Cortés (1485–1547), a Spanish conquistador Places * Cortes, Navarre, a village in the South border of ...
(for Roquetes); and was a man about town. Querol died in Madrid,Agustín Querol Subirats
/ref> and is buried in San Justo in Madrid. He left unfinished monuments in Tortosa,
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
,
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, and
Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
, which were later completed after his death. One example is the Monument ''De los Españoles'' in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
. The elaborate sculpture, representing a statue of Liberty on a tower, with an extensive frieze at the base, all of it set in a pool with fountains, surrounded by monumental bronze figures dedicated to the Constitution of Argentina and the country's regions, was designed before Querol's death. It was begun in 1910, assigned to a replacement sculptor Cipriano Folgueras who then died in 1911, and further delayed with the tragic 1916 loss of the trans-Atlantic steamer ''
Prince of Asturias Prince or Princess of Asturias () is the main substantive title used by the heir apparent, or heir presumptive to the monarchy of Spain, Spanish Crown. According to the Spanish Constitution of 1978: The title originated in 1388, when King J ...
'', which sank with the loss of 457 lives and a cargo of finished bronze and marble sculptures. The monument was finally completed in 1927.


Work

* figures of ''
Sagunto Sagunto () is a municipality of Spain, located in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community. It belongs to the modern fertile ''comarca'' of Camp de Morvedre. It is located approximately north of the city of Valencia, close to the Costa ...
'' or ''Suicides of Sagunto'', 1888, originally placed in the Plaza San Martin,
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, now shown at the
Buenos Aires Botanical Garden The Buenos Aires Botanical Garden (official name in Spanish: ''Jardín Botánico Carlos Thays de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires'') is a botanical garden located in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires in Argentina. The garden is triang ...
* finial figure of ''Spain'' with lion, two other figures and a full sculpted pediment, topping the
Biblioteca Nacional de España The (National Library of Spain) is the national library of Spain. It is the largest public library in the country, and one of the largest in the world. Founded in 1711, it is an autonomous agency attached to the Ministry of Culture since 1 ...
, Madrid, 1892–1903 * the mausoleum Guirao Pantheon, San Isidro Cemetery, Madrid, 1908-1911 (finished posthumously) * Monument to explorers ''Adelantado'' Legazpi and Urdaneta, 1890s. Originally located in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, then transferred to
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
. The Americans completed the memorial in 1901 by command of General George W. Davis. * Monument to Firemen,
Colon Cemetery, Havana El Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón (English: the Christopher Columbus Cemetery), also called La Necrópolis de Cristóbal Colón, was founded in 1876 in the Vedado neighbourhood of Havana, Cuba, to replace the Espada Cemetery in the Barrio de S ...
, Cuba, 1897 * Monument to Claudio Moyano, at the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V, Madrid, 1900 * Monument to Francisco de Quevedo, at the Glorieta de Quevedo (originally at the plaza de Alonso Martínez), Madrid, 1902 * Monument to the Martyrs of the Plaza of Spain,
Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
, 1904 * white marble mausoleum of
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (8 February 18288 August 1897) was a Spanish people, Spanish politician and historian known principally for serving six terms as Spanish Prime Minister, prime minister and his overarching role as "architect" of the ...
, at the
Pantheon of Illustrious Men The Pantheon of Illustrious Men () is a royal site in Madrid, under the administration of the Patrimonio Nacional. It was designed by Spanish architect Fernando Arbós y Tremanti, and is located in Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Atocha in the ...
, Madrid, 1906 * statue of Frederic Soler i Hubert (Pitarra Serafí),
La Rambla, Barcelona La Rambla () is considered the most well known street in central Barcelona. A tree-lined pedestrian street, it stretches for connecting the in its center with the Columbus Monument, Barcelona, Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell. La Ra ...
, 1906 * Monument to
Casilda Iturrizar Casilda Iturrizar (1818 – 22 February 1900), also known as the Epalza widow, was a Spanish philanthropist and businessperson from Bilbao in the Basque Country. Iturrizar sought to help the most disadvantaged members of Bilbao society using her f ...
(the "Widow of Elpalza"),
Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park The terms Don (in Spanish and Italian), Dom (in Portuguese), and Domn (in Romanian), are honorific prefixes derived from the Latin ''Dominus'', meaning "lord" or "owner". The honorific is commonly used in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, as well a ...
,
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, 1906 * three allegoric sculptural groups ''La Gloria y los Pegasos'', consisting of a middle multi-figural group of ''Science, Art, and Glory'' flanked by two rampant pegasus figures, all originally atop the Spanish
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...
, Madrid, 1905. Middle figural group removed to the Glorieta de Cádiz roundabout in 1998 * Monument to the Siege of Zaragoza,
Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
, 1908 * Monument to Segismundo Moret,
Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...
, 1909 * Tower monument, frieze, and bronze fountain figures at the Monument ''De los Españoles'', also known as ''Monument to the Magna Carta'',
Avenida del Libertador Avenida del Libertador may refer to: * Avenida del Libertador (Buenos Aires), a road in Buenos Aires, Argentina. * Avenida del Libertador (Montevideo), a road in Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Repu ...
at its intersection with Avenida del Sarmiento,
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
,
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, designed 1909, begun 1910 after Querol's death, finished 1927 * four pegasus-with-riders sculptures, installed on the roof of the
Palacio de Bellas Artes The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) is a prominent cultural center in Mexico City. It hosts performing arts events, literature events and plastic arts galleries and exhibitions (including important permanent Mexican murals). "Bella ...
,
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, originally from the Legislative Palace
Monument to the Revolution Monument to the Revolution may refer to: * ''Monument to the Revolution'' (Kozara), a 1972 World War II memorial sculpture by Dušan Džamonja * '' Monument to the Revolution of the people of Moslavina'', a 1967 World War II memorial sculpture by ...
by architect
Émile Bénard Henri Jean Émile Bénard (June 23, 1844 – October 15, 1929) was a French architect and painter. Bénard was the winner of the 1899 International Competition for the Phoebe A. Hearst Architectural Plan to design the campus of the University ...


Gallery

Image:La Gloria y los Pegasos (Querol) Madrid 01.jpg,
Pegasus Pegasus (; ) is a winged horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a white stallion. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was the brother of Chrysaor, both born from Medusa's blood w ...
and figure, atop the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Madrid Image:La Gloria y los Pegasos (Querol) Madrid 05.jpg, ''Science'', detail of the finial group for the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture Image:Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid) 02b.jpg, Finial figure of ''Spain'' with circular garland, atop the
Biblioteca Nacional de España The (National Library of Spain) is the national library of Spain. It is the largest public library in the country, and one of the largest in the world. Founded in 1711, it is an autonomous agency attached to the Ministry of Culture since 1 ...
, Madrid, 1892-1903 Image:Estatua-moret-cadiz.jpg, Statue of Segismundo Moret at
Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...
, Andalucía Image:EB1911 Plate X. v24, pg.511, Fig 4.jpg, Memorial to
Alfonso XII of Spain Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo de Borbón y Borbón; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as ''El Pacificador'' (Spanish: the Peacemaker), was King of Spain from 29 D ...
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, ed. 1911, vol. 24, pg. 511, Plate X.


References


External links


Agustín Querol Subirats

source with photos of ''Sagunto''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Querol Subirats, Agusti 1860 births 1909 deaths Architectural sculptors Sculptors from Catalonia Members of the Congress of Deputies of the Spanish Restoration