Llimona sculpture in Generalitat

When Quim Torra took over the Catalan presidency, being an art afficionado, he is said to have made an effort to get to know the various pieces of art to be found around the Palau de la Generalitat, which would host his new office. He was disappointed not to find a work by Josep Llimona (Barcelona, 1864 - 1934), one of the most important artists of the Modernism movement. Torra got in touch with the Catalan National Museum of Art (MNAC) in order to discuss getting a suitably representative piece of Llimona’s work, to put on display in the Generalitat. The work which the MNAC came up with couldn’t be more iconic; the Desconsol. This refined, feminine nude sculpture hasn’t been seen in public since 1984, when it was withdrawn from the fountain in the Ciutadella park, where it was increasingly becoming worn due to pollution and rain water. It was installed in the Palau yesterday.