The Sculpture of the Kiss of Death in Spain
Country of the crafting :Spain
Region of the crafting :Cataluña
Town of the crafting :Barcelona
Type of the crafting :Marble, stone and plaster
1. Geographic Area
In the cemetery of Poblenou or Pueblo Nuevo, a camposanto founded in 1775 and located in the neighborhood of the same name of the city of Barcelona.
2. Craft caractheristics
The sculpture depicts death, in the form of a winged skeleton, planting a kiss on the forehead of a handsome young man. the sculpture evokes different answers to the people who see it: it is ecstasy on the face of the young man or the renunciation of life. the eroticism of the kiss is difficult to disguise, the sculpture shows the welcome to death as a partner. the sculpture is both romantic and terrible, leading to the different views of the people who see it. Attracting and repelling at the same time, the need to play combines with the desire to flee. the sculpture is located on the stone by the textile entrepreneur Josep Llaudet Soler
3. The technique
The technique used is the technique of stone sculpture. the strokes used by the carver can be applied directly. This ensures the fracture of the rock, but the intensity of the blow decreases the control of the carver over the direction of the break, making the process easier. When more precise shocks are required on the stone, an intermediate material, such as a chisel, can be used.
4. Used materials
Several materials and tools are used: Material: -Stone. Tools: -Chisels: There are several but we use the planes, for handle or round handle. -Gradinas: There are many and the most used were flat-toothed, American-toothed or sharp teeth. -Uñetas. -Scratch. -Mediacaña.
5. History
The Kiss of Death, (EL Petó de la Mort) in Catalan is a marble sculpture, located in the cemetery of Poblenou in Barcelona. the sculpture of the Kiss of Death is undoubtedly the most well-known and outstanding composition of the cemetery.
It is believed that the sculpture was created by Jaume Barba, although others claim that the idea was conceived by Joan Fontbernat. The commission was made to the workshop of Jaume Barba, who has always been awarded the creation of the sculpture, but since the master was 70 years old when it was made, it seems more truthful the version that the work was made by Joan Fontbernal who was the master’s and is the master’s e-in-law and is or most qualified in the workshop, although the back of the ribs of the sculpture that has a striking realism, is also attributed to Artemi Barba.
Around 1930 the Llaudet family lost a son in his youth and wanted to make a sculpture for his tomb.
The sculpture is said to have inspired Ingmar Bergman’s film the Seventh Seal.
