ES FONER

This bronze statue, by the Felanitx-born sculptor Jaume Mir, stands in front of the Cultural Centre and was donated by the artist in 1992.

Jaume Mir (1915-2012) was one of the most prestigious Mallorcan sculptors of the 20th century, and his work and rigorous technique are internationally renowned.

In January 1992, on the occasion of his receiving the gold medal of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, in honour of the Felanitx-born sculptor there was held a great exhibition in the Cultural Centre. It showed a substantial part of his work. So many people attended the opening event, that the venue was filled to capacity. At the closing of the exhibition, Jaume Mir decided to donate two of his sculptures to the town of Felanitx. One of them was the slinger.

His work is very diverse and often inspired by religious, mythological and historical resources. The artist is characterised by his representation of the mythical, legendary and epic meaning of figures from Balearic myths, such as the Slingers, La Balanguera (hymn), the Sibyl (song), Nuredduna and Joanot Colom. Jaume Mir worked with materials as diverse as bronze, marble, wood, Santanyí stone (hard sandstone), natural stone, metal and clay, revealing the multi-faceted nature of his sculptures. His work is in line with the Classicist and Realist canons.

Although this slinger appears serene and calm, many of the artist's sculptures depict human subjects in moments of maximum tension, giving them transcendence, epic significance and enhanced expressiveness. The postures of his subjects demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and mastery of the human anatomy.

His work comprises other slingers, such as the one he created for the Parliament of the Balearic Islands, and another for the Campus of the University of the Balearic Islands. He was so fascinated by this emblematic character, that throughout his artistic career he dealt with it time and again, even inventing and re-enacting scenes from his every-day and family life.

Jaume Mir created a large number of sculptures and reliefs for different institutions, most of which are on public display, as well as several pasos (floats) for Holy Week, the most outstanding of which is the Santo Entierro (Entombment) from 1952, and many sculptures for mausoleums in different cemeteries on the island of Mallorca.

Jaume Mir was a director and professor at the School of Applied Arts in Palma, a two-time laureate of the Ciutat de Palma, and a member of the Royal Academies in San Fernando and San Sebastián.