145 - JUAN LUIS VASALLO (Cádiz, 1908 – Madrid, 1986)

JUAN LUIS VASALLO (Cádiz, 1908 – Madrid, 1986) “Caricature of a Doctor.” Painted ceramic. Shows signs of wear. Signed. Measurements: 38 x 20 x 13 cm. Juan Luis Vassallo Parodi was a prominent 20th-century Spanish sculptor, recognized for his contribution to the renewal of figurative sculpture and for his mastery of techniques and materials such as clay, wood, stone, marble, and bronze. The son of painter Eduardo Vassallo Dorronzoro, he grew up in an artistic environment and began his training in Córdoba and at the School of Arts and Crafts in Baeza. He later moved to Madrid, where he attended the Círculo de Bellas Artes and studied under the sculptors Aniceto Marinas and José Capuz, completing his studies at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts. Throughout his career, he combined artistic creation with a distinguished teaching career: he taught in Ávila and Jerez de la Frontera, directed the Higher School of Fine Arts in Seville from 1952 to 1958, and was appointed to the chair of Modeling at San Fernando in 1958. Among his major honors are the 1936 National Sculpture Prize and the first medal at the 1948 National Fine Arts Exhibition. In 1964, he won first prize in the National Sculpture Competition for his design of Minerva. His legacy is represented in institutions such as the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and the Casa de Iberoamérica in Cádiz, which houses a significant collection of works donated by his family. He has committed fouls.