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The Face of Barcelona

The Face of Barcelona, also known as El Cap de Barcelona or Barcelona Head, is a Pop sculpture by American artist Roy Lichtenstein created in 1991–1992 for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. It was Lichtenstein’s first outdoor work using glazed ceramic tile and references Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol’s trencadís mosaic technique. Made of concrete, glazed ceramic tile, and stainless steel, the sculpture is an abstract rendition of a woman’s head with bold red, yellow, blue, black, and white mosaic surfaces. It stands on the waterfront in the heart of Barcelona and reflects Lichtenstein’s signature pop-art style in three dimensions.

The Face of Barcelona sculpture with a stylized face in cracked mosaic and red polka dots.
The Face of Barcelona features a bold abstract face with mosaic and polka-dot surfaces.
May 2013 © · CC BY-SA 3.0 es
The Face of Barcelona mosaic sculpture rises in front of ornate waterfront buildings under a blue sky.
The Face of Barcelona sculpture stands along Barcelona’s waterfront, with historic buildings behind it.
June 2014 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Face of Barcelona sculpture with a red dotted pop-art pattern against a clear blue sky.
The Face of Barcelona, Roy Lichtenstein’s pop-art sculpture, rises above the waterfront.
October 2007 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Face of Barcelona sculpture with red dots, yellow-and-black stripes, and blue mosaic tiling against a blue sky.
The Face of Barcelona sculpture features bold patterns of color and mosaic beneath a clear sky.
September 2008 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Face of Barcelona sculpture on a pedestal, partly obscured by a tree and streetlamp in an urban streetscape.
The Face of Barcelona rises above Passeig de Colom, partly hidden by foreground trees and a streetlamp.
2006 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleThe Face of Barcelona
Original titleEl Cap de Barcelona
Alternative namesBarcelona Head; Brushstroke Head IV; La Cara de Barcelona

Creator

ArtistRoy Lichtenstein
Artist nationalityAmerican
Artist life dates1923–1997
Executed byDiego Delgado Rajado

Historical context

Date created1991–1992
Created forThe 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Historical contextCreated during Barcelona's urban transformation before the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, as the city sought to present itself as a modern metropolis
SeriesBrushstrokes
Preliminary versionSmall-format first version dated 1987, held in the collections of MACBA in the Raval district

Discovery and provenance

Wooden modelWood model dated 1985

Physical characteristics

TypeSculpture
StylePop art; monumental sculpture
SubjectHighly abstracted face of a woman
FormA face formed by large brushstrokes
HeightAbout 15 meters
Width6 meters
Base heightAbout 5 meters
Weight90 tonnes

Materials

Primary materialsReinforced concrete, stainless steel staples, colored ceramic tiles
Model materialWood

Technique

Artistic technique referenceTrencadís mosaic technique
Surface treatmentCovered in colored mosaic tiles, including red, yellow, blue, black, and white; the right side has a grid of red dots in relief
ConstructionMade of eight prefabricated pieces with a ceramic coating

Appearance

Visual effectFrom a distance it can look like a painting, as if it were made with a few quick brushstrokes
Eye depictionThe eyes look like thick blue and black brushstrokes
Nose depictionThe nose looks like a thick blue and black brushstroke
Lip depictionThe lips look like a quick stroke of bright red paint
Additional elementsA tall blue-and-white stroke beneath the head resembles a neck and extends through the face; a perpendicular yellow-and-black stroke begins at the bottom and reappears at the top of the head
Left side of faceThe left third of the face, including the blue nose and eye, is covered with white tiles
Right side of faceThe right two thirds of the face are covered in a grid of red dots

Iconography and meaning

Formal effectIntended to create a two-dimensional impression and to resemble an image known from painting rather than a normally three-dimensional sculpture
Relation to earlier worksSimilar to Lichtenstein's early-1980s Brushstrokes sculptures, but those earlier works were made of painted aluminum
Earliest cited paintingLook Mickey (1961)
Visual referencesReminiscences of Joan Miró's visual language
Artistic backgroundLichtenstein began experimenting with three-dimensional art in the late 1970s; before that, his main focus was pop art and comic-strip-like imagery with bold primary colors, thick dark lines, thought bubbles, and dots
Reason for material choiceThe ceramic tiles were used as a sign of respect for Gaudí and other Catalan Modernisme artists, and to reflect Barcelona's association with organic lines and mosaic tiles
Homage toAntoni Gaudí and Catalan Modernisme, including the trencadís technique widely used in Barcelona
Stylistic inspirationBuilt to resemble the style of Antoni Gaudí

Location and ownership

Current locationPasseig de Colom at the entrance to Port Vell, Barcelona, Spain, on the waterfront near the border with La Barceloneta
Specific siteAt the intersection of Passeig de Colom and Pas de Sota Muralla streets, near Moll de la Fusta, opposite Plaça d'Antonio López
Nearby landmarksThe area includes the Palau de Mar and the Museum of the History of Catalonia
VisibilityClearly visible because of its size

History and restoration

Date of unveiling7 April 1992
Installation occasionInstalled for the 1992 Summer Olympics

Significance

SignificanceA vivid landmark of the Barcelona waterfront that attracts tourists