BARCELONA.- The MNAC is organizing the first retrospective exhibition held in Barcelona devoted to this great Catalan artist, one of the most outstanding sculptors of the early avant-garde, who pursued his artistic career in Paris. The show presents original iron sculptures, and also includes drawings and object arts – mainly jewels – from centres like the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and the Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, the Centre Pompidou and the MNAC itself.

Juli González is a retrospective show bringing together sculptures, paintings, drawings, jewels and ornamental pieces from European and American museums, besides private collections and the MNAC’s own collection.

The aim of the exhibition is to show the creative range of this Catalan artist who, although he did most of his work in Paris, never cut himself off from his origins. His training in Barcelona in his father’s metalworking workshop and his friendship with the Catalan artists of his generation were determining factors in his creative process.

Considered one of the great names in modern sculpture, his work with iron, with which he created his own abstract language, has been viewed as one of the most valuable contributions to the avant-garde art. Despite his international prestige and the excellent collection of his work conserved in the MNAC, thanks to the generosity of his daughter, in this country González does not enjoy the recognition his important artistic career deserves. This exhibition, the first wideranging retrospective to be held here, wishes to contribute to establishing his name among the most notable artists that Catalonia has given to the art of the twentieth century.