Main gauche levée no. 2 1942

Julio Gonzalez created "Main gauche levée no. 2" using cast bronze. The sculpture, directly translated to "Left Hand Raised," is a solid mass of material with a rough, almost geological texture, especially toward the base. Gonzalez was a trained metalworker, and that experience profoundly influenced his art; here, the casting process has imbued the hand with a sense of weight and permanence. It’s interesting to note the hand is not smooth or refined, but seems like an extension of the raw, industrial processes used to form it. The raised position suggests a gesture of supplication, or perhaps defiance. This makes us wonder, what is it reaching for? What historical conditions are embedded in its making? Gonzalez lived through times of intense social upheaval, so it's not a stretch to see this hand as symbolic of human resilience, forged from the crucible of history. By considering the processes and the social context of its creation, we get closer to its significance.