Perhaps the spirit of Antonio Machado lingers near his bust. Here in Madrid, we honor a poet of the Generation of ’98. This Antonio Machado Bust stands as a tribute to his life and work.
Antonio Machado was born in Seville in 1875. Madrid erected this monument on October 13, 1985. It recognizes one of Spain’s most distinguished poets. The bust is located near the “City of Poets”. Enrique Tierno Galván was mayor when this initiative began.
The Antonio Machado Bust marks the boundary of a residential area. It is located at Calle Antonio Machado 55. Machado was committed to the Republican cause. He was a professor of French in Soria and Segovia. His poetry sang of the fields of Castile with melancholy. Machado’s beliefs led him to exile. He died in Collioure in France in 1939.
The Antonio Machado Bust was conceived by Joaquín Roldán. He was an architect for the City of Madrid. Pablo Serrano, a sculptor from Teruel, created the head. The original sculpture is in the Pablo Serrano Museum in Zaragoza. Serrano made it in 1965 for Baeza. Machado lived there between 1912 and 1919. He felt stifled by provincial life. The bust was initially banned. It was finally installed in 1983. Other busts exist in Madrid’s National Library gardens and the Fine Arts Academy. You can also find them in Soria and Paris.
The Antonio Machado Bust combines a fountain and a sculpture. It creates a semi-elliptical space facing the street. This space closes off a plaza between ramps to an underground parking. Behind the monument is a grassy area with roses.
The bronze head rests on a pink granite pedestal. The pedestal splits a cement block wall. Two bodies project from the pedestal. The lower one is taller with a curved edge. The upper piece is limestone. It appears embedded in the granite. A narrow strip has eleven vertical incisions. Water flows through these and down the lower volume. The upper piece has inscriptions on both sides. The front reads “MADRID / A / ANTONIO MACHADO” in black letters. The back says “1875-1939 / SEVILLA COLLIOURE” in dark red letters. The last letters of “COLLIOURE” are altered.
The bronze head is a powerful expressionist work. Serrano captured Machado’s essence. The Antonio Machado Bust stands as a reminder of his profound impact. Machado spoke in verse and lived in poetry. His words continue to resonate. He showed an evolution toward greater simplicity. This distinguished his poetry.
Remember Antonio Machado as you explore Madrid. His legacy lives on in his poetry. It also lives on in this bust. It is a tribute to his contribution to Spanish literature.