Being an Artist. Julio Gonzalez

Juan José Lahuerta is chief curator at the National Museum of Art of Catalonia in Barcelona and professor of history of art at the Barcelona School of Architecture.

A richly illustrated catalog, with biography, of artist Julio González. The sculptures of Julio González (1876-1942) were shown at MoMA in 1956, and our understanding of his influence on modern art has grown steadily since. This lavishly illustrated book offers a new, highly nuanced account of González's life, work, and legacy. Beginning with González's complex family relationships, Juan José Lahuerta explores the tensions involved as González sought to combine his craft with efforts to become a painter, as the Romantic, bohemian mentality of the late nineteenth century had idealized. Lahuerta also explores the importance of González's relationships with Picasso and other contemporaries, which helps us understand how, in the 1930s, his naïve artist's urge was replaced by a radical urge to make art that would break every taboo related to tradition, craft, and material. The second section of the book offers a stunning presentation of the new exhibition of the Julio González collection at the Institut Valencià d'Art Modern. The book will serve as a milestone in our understanding of González's work and influence.