Josep Reynés

Josep Reynés i Gurguí (1850, Barcelona, Spain - 4 June 1926, Barcelona, Spain) was a Spanish sculptor. He devoted himself primarily to interior decoration, but also created religious and funerary works.

His first studies were at the Escola de la Llotja, with the brothers Venanci [ca] and Agapit Vallmitjana. He completed them in Paris, from 1873 to 1876, where he worked in the studios of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. His first major work came in 1888, when he was part of a group of sculptors who decorated the "Arc de Triomf", the monumental entrance to the Exposición Universal de Barcelona. He was in charge of creating the relief on the main frieze: "Barcelona Welcomes the Nations".^[1]

In 1890, he was awarded a first-class medal at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid; for his work, La Violinista.^[2] One of his most familiar works was created in 1893: the Font dels Nens [ca] in the Parc de la Ciutadella. In 1898, he produced a monument to El Greco, in Sitges, designed in the Catalan Modernist style. Later, in 1907, he returned to Sitges to create a monument for Bartomeu Robert [ca], known as "Doctor Robert", who had served as Mayor of Barcelona in 1899.

He created numerous works for the Montjuïc Cemetery; including an allegorical figure of religion at the Salvador Bonaplata Pantheon (1886),^[3] figures representing Faith and Hope at the Carles Godó Pantheon (1899), and female sculptures in the neo-Gothic chapel at the Gener-Seycher Pantheon (1902-1906).^[4]

In 1915, he created several ornamental busts for the façade of the Palau del Parlament de Catalunya; notably of the artists Manuel Tramulles [ca] and Antoni Viladomat.

Some of his works may be seen at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. His brother, Antoni (1853-1910), was a landscape and flower painter.^[2]

• Ignasi de Lecea, Jaume Fabre and Carme Grandas: Art públic de Barcelona, Ayuntamiento de Barcelona and Àmbit Serveis Editorials, 2009, ISBN 978-84-96645-08-0

Media related to Josep Reynés at Wikimedia Commons