Background
Sabartes was born at no 84 San Pedro Street in Barcelona. His father, Francisco Sabartés Obach was a primary schoolteacher originally from Oliana. His mother, María Gual Oromí, was born in Barcelona.
choreographer painter sculptor writer poet
Sabartes was born at no 84 San Pedro Street in Barcelona. His father, Francisco Sabartés Obach was a primary schoolteacher originally from Oliana. His mother, María Gual Oromí, was born in Barcelona.
In 1901 Sabartes studied fine arts and sculpture under Manuel Fuxa, at the Escola de la Llotja and under the pen name of Jacobus Sabartés wrote prose and poetry and collaborated with the Joventut magazine.
According to Francoise Gilot, Sabartes was a cousin of Joan Miró. He was regular at the Quatre Gats, and he was part of Picasso’s group in Barcelona and Paris. On 11 January 1908 Sabartes married Rosa Corzo Robles, who was the daughter of the owners of the house where he was resident.
Sabartes moved to New York in 1912 but returned to Guatemala in 1913.
During his time in Guatemala Sabartes organised several major exhibitions of modern art featuring Picasso and other artists as well as teaching at the Academy of Fine Arts and editing the Journal "Central America". Sabartes met Picasso in 1899 and they remained close until Sabartes" death.
In 1899 Picasso painted his first portrait of Sabartes, which is now in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow. At Picasso"s request, Sabartes moved to rue la Boétie in Paris in November 1935 and became Picasso"s full-time secretary, organising his papers, books and poems, and was responsible for arranging his exhibitions.
Sabartes collected a great many works by Picasso which he donated to the Museu Picasso in Barcelona in 1963 forming the core of this gallery which was initially known as the Sabartes collection.
His books and papers were donated to the Museo Picasso Málaga. In 2007, Barcelona city council gave the name of Plaça Sabartés to the new remodelled urban space behind the Picasso Museum, between the streets of Montcada and Flassaders. In 2008, the Museu Picasso has opened a new Sabartés Room, which includes a new acquisition: a portrait of Sabartés as a faun, dated 1946.