Julio Gonzalez (1876-1942)

González's conception of the tragicomic figure of Don Quixote represents the austere and imposing qualities of the Spanish nobleman as well as his humorous frailties. The sculptor realizes this literary subject through original and expressive means; he contrast the dual nature of his subject by means of a series of contrapuntal devices. The rigid, thrusting form of the lance supports the hunched and bent shapes of Don Quixote's back, neck and right arm. The sculpture is viewed to the best advantage from the sides, where the linear and curvilinear forms encompass a large interior space, which may be interpreted as either volume or void.