Born into of a family of ironwork artisans, Julio González (Barcelona, 1876 – Arcueil, France, 1942) began his artistic career in the family studio. After a visit to the Prado Museum in 1897 he decided to become a painter. In Barcelona he came into contact with the group of artists from Els Quatre Gats [The Four Cats]. In 1899 he traveled to Paris and moved there the following year. In 1904 he met Pablo Picasso and joined his group, which included Maurice Raynal, Max Jacob, Pablo Gargallo, Paco Durrio and Manolo Hugué. In 1910, he made embossed metal masks influenced by African art. During World War II, he studied autogenous welding at the Renault workshop: the assembly of metal fragments and plates allowed him to obtain volumetric shapes and transform space into a constructive element.

Between 1928 and 1932 the collaboration between González and Picasso became fundamental in the thematic and technical evolution of both artists. Together, they worked on the production of sculptures such as the monument to Apollinaire. In 1937 González participated in the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris World’s Fair with La Montserrat, an emblematic sculpture that represents the pain and angst of experiencing war.