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Crosscut Sawyers

Collection:	Trades in Bronze (Antonio Oteiza)
Author:	Fr. Antonio Oteiza
Inventory Number:	MCO-AO-ES-00038
Type:	Relief
Location:	Cataloguing Room
Characteristics:	Crosscut Sawyers is a horizontal relief structured around two figures placed at opposite ends of the composition. A long toothed saw stretches between them, linking the workers both physically and visually. Their bodies lean towards the tool and are modelled through compact, simplified forms. Rough surfaces and a patina combining green, brown and black tones with copper highlights distinguish the figures from the background and emphasise the central block of wood on which they are working.
Artwork:	Click to enlarge
Description:	Working with a long crosscut saw required far more than physical strength. Each man had to pull the blade towards himself and then release the movement so that his partner could complete the return stroke. Any loss of rhythm could slow the cut or cause the saw to catch. The task depended on experience, coordination and a precise understanding between the two workers. Antonio Oteiza builds the scene around this mutual dependence. The men occupy the outer edges of the relief, separated by the timber yet joined by the same tool. Both bodies incline towards the centre, concentrating their effort on the material that resists them. The saw forms the main axis of the composition. Its horizontal line runs across almost the entire work, while the clearly defined sequence of teeth makes the hardness of the cutting process visible. The compact central volume holds the figures apart, but also binds them to a single action. The sculptor removes anything unnecessary. Faces and surroundings are only suggested, allowing posture, distance and tool to carry the meaning of the scene. The uneven surface and varied patina give the relief a strong physical presence, recalling both the roughness of the wood and the strain of the labour. Crosscut Sawyers preserves the memory of a profession largely displaced by mechanisation. At the same time, the work speaks of something enduring: trust, coordinated effort and the ability to turn two separate forces into one continuous movement.

Works from the collection

Formworker

Formworker pays tribute to one of the essential trades in construction. Antonio Oteiza honours the craftsman who prepares the framework upon which every building takes shape. The sculpture reveals how skill, precision and quiet dedication become the true foundation of any enduring work.
Blacksmith

In Blacksmith, Antonio Oteiza captures the essence of craftsmanship at its most decisive moment. Rather than depicting the impact of the hammer, he focuses on the instant beforehand, when strength, skill and concentration come together. The sculpture becomes a tribute to manual knowledge and to the transformative power of human labour.
Writer

In Writer, Antonio Oteiza transforms the act of writing into sculptural matter. The figure, bent over his task, becomes closely integrated with a volume covered in signs and incisions that visually extend the act of writing. Rather than portraying a specific individual, the work evokes concentration, memory and the human impulse to turn experience into language.
Basket Weaver

In Basket Weaver, Antonio Oteiza transforms a traditional craft into a reflection on the relationship between human beings, materials, and skills learned through the hands. The figure bends over a large basket that becomes almost as important as the craftsman himself. Rather than simply depicting a task, the sculpture conveys concentration, craftsmanship, and the quiet dignity of everyday work.
Ashlar Stonemason

In Stone Mason, Antonio Oteiza pays tribute to one of humanity's oldest crafts. Rather than celebrating physical effort alone, the sculpture explores the quiet relationship between the mason and the stone, revealing the patience, skill and understanding required to shape raw material into architecture. The work becomes a reflection on craftsmanship as both knowledge and creation.
Mechanic

In Mechanic, Antonio Oteiza captures the decisive moment of work. The standing figure leans over a mechanical component, manipulating it with both hands. Every part of the body is directed toward this single point, where observation, movement and material come together.

The sculpture transforms an everyday task into a powerful reflection on concentration, craftsmanship and dedication to one's profession.
Espadrille Maker

In Espadrille Maker, Antonio Oteiza pays tribute to one of the traditional crafts that quietly shaped everyday life. Two artisans share the same workspace, their attention focused on a task that depends less on strength than on skill, patience and experience. Between them, a small stack of finished espadrilles becomes the silent outcome of their shared labour.
Photographer

In Photographer, Antonio Oteiza transforms a familiar profession into a quiet study of observation and anticipation. A small group of figures occupies one side of the relief, while the photographer leans over his camera on the other. Between them, a broad open space becomes the silent stage where the moment before the image is captured unfolds.
Grape Harvester

A woman carries the weight of the grape harvest on her shoulder. Antonio Oteiza turns this everyday gesture into a powerful image of endurance, balance and the deep bond between human labour and the land.
Teaching

A group of people listens attentively as one figure points towards a large surface in the background. In Teaching, Antonio Oteiza presents the transmission of knowledge as a human encounter shaped by attention, exchange and the willingness to learn.
Bullfighters. Paseíllo

Three bullfighters advance together during the solemn paseíllo. Antonio Oteiza captures the moment just before the bullfight begins, when ceremony, public scrutiny and an awareness of danger turn an orderly procession into a scene charged with inner tension.