Beaux Arts Gallery

Works of CarbonellEstablished in 1988, Beaux Arts ranks among the oldest running galleries in South Florida. “I believe that to be fair to an artist, says Gonzalez, you have to give him the best representation possible. It takes a serious commitment of time and investment to represent an artist of Carbonell’s caliber. I am currently involved in co-curating a book about his life, which has added great demands of research to the daily running of the gallery” , notes owner and director , Ricardo J. Gonzalez III, who has the worldwide representation rights to Cuban Master Sculptor Manuel Carbonell works. Before Beaux Arts began representing Carbonell, the artist had exhibited for over 12 years at the renowned Schoneman Galleries in New York’s Madison Avenue. Having traditionally exhibited only major French Impressionist Masters, Schoneman, moved by Carbonell’s potential impact, decided to represent their first modern sculptor. Carbonell’s work, was therefore exhibited among paintings of Impressionist Masters like Braque, Chagall, Monet, Duffy, Picasso, Renoir and others. “My start in the art business was unexpected” says Gonzalez “My interest in art dates back to when my brother and I lived with Carbonell after we left Cuba. It was during this young age that Carbonell exposed his two young nephews to the New York art world. Later, after I became an architect I maintained a great interest in art, but little did I know that I would eventually open an art gallery, become an art dealer and have the responsibility to bring Carbonell’s new works to collectors around the world. Gonzalez duties at Beaux Arts cover not only the administration and marketing aspects of the gallery but the artistic side as well: Setting up exhibits, publicity campaigns and often traveling to Italy to oversee the casting of the sculptures at their preferred foundry in Pietrasanta, a city famous in the world of sculptors for his marble studios and quality foundries, since Michaelangelo went there to find the beautiful marbles for his works. “You have to be at the foundry to negotiate pricing and scheduling and to insure the castings turn out of the quality that a Carbonell demands.” Gonzalez affirms. Through the good auspices of Beaux Arts Gallery, Carbonell received the commission to produce two of the largest monumental sculptures in Miami: The 53-foot Tequesta monument at the Brickell Avenue Bridge and the 21-foot “El Centinela Del Rio” on Tequesta Point at Brickell Key. Gonzalez says “We have developed an important niche in the art market for Carbonell: monumental sculptures. Carbonell’s works have moved from large monumental commissions to his personal expression. It is this monumental feeling that he imparts to his maquettes and smaller sculptures that makes their enlargements to monumental sizes so successful. His sculptures as well as his monumental pieces are now part of important collections at exclusive in-door and out-door spaces. Among them: The 4-foot “Modern Dancer” at the Frost Museum Collection at Florida International University, the 9-foot “Couple in Love” which graces the lobby at the Mandarin Oriental Miami and soon, two new 6-foot sculptures, “Torso” and “Lovers” will be seen at the new Carbonell Condominium being completed in Brickell Key. Monumental sculptures of this quality have turned into the preferred art form for interior and exterior spaces of new buildings, as they have become an important status symbol that attracts the sophisticated buyer. Beaux Arts Gallery, with its extensive collection, is a preferred source for monumental sculptures for private, corporate and museum collections. For more information, please call: 305.858.6776

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.