Monument to the Martyrs of 1809, Barri Gotic. Barcelona

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The Fountain of the Frog - Sculpture Detail, Diagonal Av., Barcelona

This is a detail of what is known as Font de la Granota (fountain of the frog) on the corner of Diagonal Avenue and Corsega street. You don't see it here but the hands belong to a little boy who is lying on top as if by the bank of a river holding a frog or rather squeezing it to make water pour from its mouth. It was sculpted by Josep Campeny i Santamaria (Igualada, 1858 - Barcelona, 1922) in 1912. To have an idea check this low quality image of the fountain.

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Coqueta The Giraffe, A Curious Sculpture at Rambla Catalunya

They say sequels are never better than the original movie. This is the second time that Coqueta, the Giraffe stars in Barcelona Photoblog and I am almost sure this time you'll appreciate its beauty much better. Lots of images in this blog during the first year were taken with a lousy camera and besides there was the well known blogger picture size restriction problem. I did my best then but my gear evolved and so did my photographs. I just hope in the future I am able to give bad reviews about my past work, that would mean everything is getting better. As Socrates said, "true wisdom lies in recognizing one’s own ignorance". In case you want to know more about Coqueta sculpture or Josep Granyer the sculptor please visit my previous posts: Posing Giraffe and Bull by Josep Granyer.

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A Gaudian Sculpture Near Sagrada Familia Ceiling

As usual it is hard to crop Gaudi's work. I spotted this weird modernist sculpture near the ceiling at Sagrada Familia. Unlike the ones outside this one is black. I suppose it is some kind of allusion to the Black Virgin called La Moreneta, the patroness of Catalonia but this is just a suggestion of mine.

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Barcelona City of Angels

Not that I ever counted all the angels in Barcelona! I just wanted to use a poetic license to honor my city and what better than this angel you can admire right after you leave Sant Jaume square on your way down Carrer de la Ciutat. You will find a small set of stairs to your right and voilà. Let me show you the place in a small picture: Carrer de la Ciutat near Plaça Sant Jaume via QDQ. That in the background is Sant Jaume where La Generalitat and the City Town Hall or Ajuntament are.

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Priest Sculpture in Pedralbes Monastery

To complete the scene here is the other religious icon located to the right of the sculpture in my previous post: Religious Sculpture in Pedralbes Monastery

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Gaudi Animals on Nativity Façade, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

Weird creatures contemplate tourists from above while they visit Sagrada Familia cathedral. Animal sculptures, so common in Gaudi's art nouveau buildings, accentuate the mysterious halo around the temple mixing up Paganism and Christianity with unusual harmony according to my humble and lay appreciation of course.

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Detail of Faith Hallway or Entry in the Nativity Façade, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

This is a detail of the Faith hallway or entry located to the right of the Nativity façade in Sagrada Familia. It is an image of Jesus in his carpenter work bench. To get a better idea examine other sculptures from this façade featured in Barcelona Photoblog in the past: Turtle Holding Pillar, Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and Adoration of the Magi

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Gold Fish by Frank O. Ghery, Barcelona

The Gold Fish or Peix D'Or by Frank O.Ghery near Hotel Arts and Paseo Marítimo is located in the middle of a complex of restaurants, shops and discos known as the Olympic Port which is one of the most visited spots in the city specially at night. Check a previous post with the Gold Fish silhouette in the distance. The sculpture built in 1992 for the Olympic games acts as a canopy for some of the restaurants and a fountain in the underground floor.

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A Closer Look on Igor Mitoraj's Sculpture

A close look, a very close look in fact and I meant literally, not that I am going to make an essay on Mitoraj. I believe that I have said everything within my reach about this Polish-German sculptor in recent posts. I just wanted to experiment with this head called Polvere d'Oriente made in 1990. Seen from this angle it looks like some Pascua monolyth or ancient God. According to some sources this man represents Buddha. Here is a different angle in a wonderful picture via M.C. de la Oliva.

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Statue of Naked Woman At Montjuic Castle in Barcelona

On top of Montjuic mountain from where you have a privileged view of Barcelona there is a fortress as it is common at the entrance of bays. It is the Montjuic castle which I will deal with on some other occasion since it doesn't show in the picture. There is an esplanade with some huge canons and in the middle of this heavy artillery you come across a statue of a naked woman which honors the memory of Gaspar de Portolà the first California governor. Besides the weapons museum which is inside the castle and the canons all the rest around the statue (as you can see in the background), the view, the cleaner atmosphere and the sea breeze (that you don't see but it is easy to imagine) creates a special sense of bliss which is highly recommended after a hard day's walk downtown. I have to point out that my colleague Valery of BCN Daily and Trujillo had published this statue not long ago and we overlapped without me knowing it, that's good cause now you can enjoy the same place twice. Please visit his site to check his work too.
Here is the photograph geotagged at Flickr.

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Nativity Portal at Sagrada Familia: Equilibrium and Chaos

I will be brief cause I am behind schedule in my daily posting. This is a detail of the Nativity Portal at Sagrada Familia. The façade as you know is full of sculptoric groups such as the one in the picture. Each of these groups is well balanced in composition and proportions but when you take some steps back and take a look at the whole building you face up with an authentic chaos of animals, saints and mythological beings. Maybe there is harmony in this chaos but if there isn't you never really care. The work of a genius sometimes is whimsical and hard to understand that's why we consider them unique.

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