20th Century Spanish
 
A prominent exponent of the Catalan movement in the early twentieth century and a multifaceted artist with a style of his own, Hugué’s boundless creativity is evident in his work as a sculptor, painter and jewellery designer. Manuel Martínez Hugué, widely known simply as Manolo, he began his training at the , where he first came into contact with the sculptor Antoni Bofill and sculpture, a discipline that would go on to become his vernacular of choice.
 
From his beginnings as an artist it is worth underscoring his connection with the painter Joaquín Mir (1873–1940), with whom he attended the . Thanks to Mir he met the artists in the Colla del Safrà group, including Ramón Pichot (1871–1925) with whom he became close friends. Notwithstanding his scant inclination for studying, his ability to learn and his maturity helped him to consolidate a personal style, for which he benefitted from his training at studios like that of the sculptor Torcuato Tasso (1852–1935), with whom he collaborated in the creation of the ornamental motifs for the commemoration of the 4th Centenary of the Discovery of America in Barcelona in 1892. He was an active participant in the gatherings held at Els Quatre Gats, the café that became the centre for aesthetic and artistic innovations and where he befriended Mir and Picasso.
 
In 1901 Hugué travelled to Paris. Shortly after arriving he had the misfortune of witnessing, in the company of another painter, Manuel Pallarés (1876–1974), the suicide of his friend Carles Casagemas (1880–1901) while at a gathering in a café. The event left a profound mark on Hugué’s stay in Paris, where he suffered serious financial problems, though this did not hamper his progress as an artist. There he became acquainted with the work of Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), who was then at his peak as a sculptor. Besides that, he was surrounded by a significant circle of intellectuals and artists that included Isidre Nonell (1872–1911), Joaquín Sunyer (1874–1956) and his friend Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881–1973), who painted his portrait when he was only 23 years old.

There is abundant evidence of the support the sculptor Paco Durrio (1868–1940) lent to Hugué during his stay in Paris, introducing him to the world of goldsmithing, a discipline in which Manolo had an opportunity to display his artistic skills and sensibility by creating pieces far removed from academic .

In 1910 he settled in the French town of Ceret (Eastern Pyrenees, Languedoc-Roussillon), where he won widespread fame for his sculptures of popular themes. He signed a contract with the art dealer Kahnweiler (1884–1979), who handled work by the likes of Picasso and Juan Gris (1887–1927), and this meant much greater exposure for his work in New York, Barcelona, Paris and Venice.
 
His final phase is connected with the Catalan town of Caldes de Montbui, where he lived during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and where he would settle for good.