The Visualization of a Nation
Tàpies and Catalonia

Emily Jenkins

Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Cultures 47

Legenda

10 September 2021  •  200pp

ISBN: 978-1-781884-19-5 (hardback)  •  RRP £80, $110, €95

ISBN: 978-1-781884-22-5 (paperback, 19 February 2024  )

ISBN: 978-1-781884-25-6 (JSTOR ebook)

Access online: Books@JSTOR

ContemporaryCatalanArt


On 23 March 1981, Jordi Pujol, President of the Catalan regional government, gave a speech about an art exhibition, Catalunya Avui. Embracing the artistic wealth of Catalonia, Pujol reminded the audience that when they hear of Tàpies, Miró, Dalí, and even Picasso they ought to remember their Catalan heritage. Pujol's inclusion of Antoni Tàpies (1923-2012) in this company shows the mark Tàpies had already made as a celebrated artist. In a very different Presidential address, as Artur Mas spoke to the press about the 2014 independence referendum, Tàpies’s enormous painting Les quatre cròniques (1990) loomed in the background — an image that took on new meanings under very different sociopolitical circumstances.

In this fascinating and thought-provoking investigation, Emily Jenkins explores both Tàpies’s extraordinary style and his journey through Catalonia's turbulent modern history. Despite his complex relationship with the Spanish state, and having shown bold acts of political protest through his art, Tàpies has been fêted as one of Spain's most successful modern artists. With support from both local and regional governments, the artist opened a museum dedicated to his work in Barcelona in 1990, helping to establish Tàpies as a major visual artist in a resurgent Catalonia.

Emily Jenkins studied art history at Rhodes College and history at Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. She is now an independent scholar in Cantabria.

Reviews:

  • ‘This monograph provides a clear and well-pondered approach to Tàpies’ work and analyses some of its key characteristics in a concise and approachable manner. Of particular interest are Jenkins’ enlightening insights into the ways Catalan democratic institutions co-opted Tàpies’ work for their own political interests... Jenkins offers a solid, insightful and positive appraisal of the artist’s work, and her book will certainly spark further interest in Tàpies’ paintings.’ — Jordi Cornellà-Detrell, Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies 7.1, 143-45 (full text online)

For a contents listing, see this volume at JSTOR.

Bibliography entry:

Jenkins, Emily, The Visualization of a Nation: Tàpies and Catalonia, Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Cultures, 47 (Legenda, 2021)

First footnote reference: 35 Emily Jenkins, The Visualization of a Nation: Tàpies and Catalonia, Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Cultures, 47 (Legenda, 2021), p. 21.

Subsequent footnote reference: 37 Jenkins, p. 47.

(To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)

Bibliography entry:

Jenkins, Emily. 2021. The Visualization of a Nation: Tàpies and Catalonia, Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Cultures, 47 (Legenda)

Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Jenkins 2021: 21).

Example footnote reference: 35 Jenkins 2021: 21.

(To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)


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