Construcción (boceto para el mural de Saint Bois) is a study for a mural commissioned for Montevideo’s Saint Bois Hospital, a hospital serving tuberculosis patients. The murals were intended to resonate with universal values but faced criticism for their bold colors, deemed unsettling by critics. Despite this, the murals remained significant, bridging modernist impulses with ancient visual traditions. While the original murals were destroyed in a 1978 fire, this work survives as a vital synthesis of Torres-García’s artistic vision, showcasing his commitment to timeless, universally resonant imagery toward the end of his career.

Known for a wide range of work including painting, sculpture, drawing, and notably his “Jugetes,” this drawing is a somewhat sentimental outliers in his overall modernist oeuvre. It is a drawing for children, and a study for one of the boat toys that he is known for. As a frequent traveler between continents (as was the case for so many emigre families during this period), this work is also indicative and symbolic of the incredible times he was living through.