Tucked away in the Jardins de Salvador Espriu, at one end of Passeig de Gràcia, stands this white marble statue of two nudes, which was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Catalan poet Joan Maragall.
The Noucentista-style sculpture titled L’Empordà was unveiled in 1961 and is the work of Ernest Maragall, one of the poet’s sons and a renowned sculptor in his own right.
Unfortunately, the statue, which consists of two half-naked young women sitting facing one another, offended the conservative sensibilities of the time and less than a year after its inauguration, the statue was relocated to El Parc de Cervantes, near the outskirts of Barcelona.
It wasn’t until more than twenty years later, in the mid-nineteen-eighties, that the statue was returned to its original location thanks to the then Mayor of Barcelona, Pasqual Maragall, who just happened to be the sculptor’s nephew and grandson of Joan Maragall.
About the artist
Ernest Maragall i Noble was born in Barcelona in 1903 and was the son of Joan Maragall.
He initially studied architecture before switching to art and serving an apprenticeship as a sculptor in the workshop of Josep Llimona. In 1928, he relocated to Paris, where he met and became friends with famous artists, including Pablo Picasso and Aristides Maillol.
During the Spanish Civil War, Maragall and his family emigrated to Venezuela, where he taught at the Escola d’Arts Plàstiques. His most famous statues are public works of art, several of which can be seen on the streets of Barcelona and Caracas.
Location
The L’Empordà sculpture is in the Jardins de Salvador Espriu gardens at the end of Passeig de Gràcia.
Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 132
How to get there
The nearest metro station is Diagonal on lines L3 and L5, the green and blue lines.
Other attractions nearby
- Passeig de Gràcia
- Casa Comalat
- La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
- Casa Batlló
- Antoni Tàpies Foundation
Map
Pg. de Gràcia, 132, Barcelona
