248 - XABIER SANTXOTENA ALSUA (Bozate, Navarre, 1946).

XABIER SANTXOTENA ALSUA (Bozate, Navarre, 1946). Untitled, Gasteiz, 1981. Bronze sculpture on a marble base. Edition 1/25 Signed, dated, and located. Measurements: 14 x 8 x 8 cm; 2.5 x 6 x 6 cm (base). Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. An Agote sculptor, poet, and researcher born into a family of cabinetmaker artisans, Xabier Santxotena met Jorge Oteiza while the latter was working on the sculptures of the apostles for the Basilica of Aranzazu. The relationship between the two artists not only led Santxotena to consider himself a disciple of Oteiza, but it was also thanks to him that the Navarrese artist devoted himself entirely to sculpture, developing his own style. Jorge Oteiza is one of the most important Basque artists of the 20th century, as well as one of the most influential. The influence of his work can be seen, from the 1950s to the present day, in the work of numerous sculptors, painters, and architects. Santxotena works with a variety of materials, ranging from wood to bronze, steel, and concrete. His prolific output led him, in 1998, to conceive the first museum in the Bozate neighborhood of Arizcun. This first museum is a tribute to the agotes. The second museum opened in 2003, also in the Bozate neighborhood, and became a sculpture park dedicated to art and nature inspired by Basque mythology. In this museum, Xabier Santxotena’s work is displayed as monumental sculpture. Currently, the third Santxotena museum is located in the town of Arceniega in Álava. This museum is also designed as a studio where the artwork is created and ultimately exhibited. It also displays sketches of the sculptor’s entire body of work. His work can be found in public spaces throughout the Community of Madrid, among other cities.