Monument to Doctor Juan Negrín

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Art · Subcategory: Sculpture · Year: 1993 · Authors: Juan Bordes

This sculptural piece is located in the calle Triana and is the work of Gran Canarian Juan Bordes. It constitutes a tribute to the Spanish physiologist doctor and politician Juan Negrín.

It is one of the most interesting sculptures in the city, and stands on a triangular base, the same configuration into which it is inserted. Out of two of its north-facing vertexes rise a couple of identical size feminine figures, holding palm leaves in one hand, these leaves allegorizing the city paying homage to them. They are natural sized bronce statues, with sinuous lines, a combination of dynamic snaky proportions. The two naked forms elude the cannons of beauty, offering instead flaccidity and adiposity.

Opposite these and just a couple of metres away stands another triangular shape. On the side of this geometrical form and facing the figures stands this short inscription: "From the city of Las Palmas to Dr. Juan Negrín López", above which is the bronze and expressive face of Negrín himself, which doesn't depict any speciality all at. From this part to the above mentioned female figures a narrow protruding and angled channel runs along the base with two of the doctor's famous phrases, also in bronze:"Countries do not live off their victories but the examples their people set in times of tragedy". There is a spout that is reminiscent, due to its deformity, of the skulls that Bordes designed when he put together his series called "Historia Natural".

In front of the geometrical body on the third vertex that makes up the base, the full figure of the former president of the Spanish Government rises up. This is the most important figure of the whole set, hence it occupies an predominating position, and is larger in size, more than two metres high. He is wearing high boots with a soft trouser material inside, while his shoulders are covered with a three quarter length coat, which is blown by the wind and held in his hands. His legs are spread apart and indicate a moving position. The statue depicts security and aplomb. 

Dr. Negrín was born in 1892 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. He joined politics quite late on in life, was the President of the Government in the 2nd Republic between 1937 y 1945, while in exile.

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