Joaquín Torres-García

Joaquín Torres-García (28 July 1874 – 8 August 1949) was a prominent Uruguayan-Spanish artist, theorist, and author, renowned for his international impact on modern art. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, he moved with his family to Catalonia, Spain, where his artistic journey began. His career spanned multiple countries, including Spain, United States, Italy, France, and Uruguay. He founded several art schools and groups, including Escola de Decoració (School of Decoration) in Barcelona, Cercle et Carré (Circle and Square) in Paris—the first European abstract-art group, which included Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky—Grupo de Arte Constructivo (Constructive Art Group) in Madrid, and Taller Torres-García (Torres-García’s Workshop) in Montevideo. Torres-García's legacy is deeply rooted in the revival of classical tradition, which he called Modern Classicism and later Universal Constructivism, believing that all humans share an inherent understanding of geometric art.