Agapit Vallmitjana

AGAPIT VALLMITJANA I ABARCA (Barcelona, 1850 - 1915).
"The African".
Patinated bronze.
Signed on the front.
With foundry seal of Masriera i Campins.
Measurements: 36,5 x 24,5 x 23,5 cm.

Smaller version of the work "Hunter of lions" made by Agapit Vallmitjana in 1883, currently located in the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona. Other examples of terracotta are preserved in collections such as the National Museum of Art of Catalonia. On September 21, 1883, Agapit Vallmitjana's sculpture "The Lion Hunter" (also known as "The African") was installed in the Parc de la Ciutadella. Made of marble and commissioned by the City Council, in 1884 the sculpture won a medal at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Madrid. Vallmitjana specialized in making sculptures representing animals, such as the lions on the main staircase of the Palace of the Generalitat of Catalonia or those of the monument to Columbus in Barcelona.

Son of the sculptor Venanci Vallmitjana i Barbany, also a disciple of his at the Llotja School in Barcelona, Agapit Vallmitjana began his activity in 1883 when he opened a workshop with his father, where he also exhibited his works. He would later combine his artistic activity with teaching, which he would do from 1902 at La Llotja. He was known above all for his work in the animalistic genre, having created numerous sculptural groups featuring wild animals, especially lions. He became known in the National Exhibitions of Fine Arts, being awarded third and second class medals in the editions of 1884 and 1908. He is currently represented in the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, the Museum of Modern Art of Madrid, the Diocesan Museum of Barcelona and the Palace of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and has public monuments in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia.