From: Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga
From: Wikipedia
José Benlliure was born in Cañamelar, a seaside village in Valencia, on 30 September 1855.
The son of a modest painter and decorator and brother of the sculptor Mariano Benlliure, he studied from a very early age at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in Valencia and at the private studio of Francisco Domingo Marqués.
In 1872 he applied to the Diputación (provincial council) of Valencia for a travel grant.
Although his application was unsuccessful, he was awarded a sum of money that enabled him to make a study trip to Paris, where he came into contact with the art dealer Goupil. On returning to Valencia, he devoted himself to painting works for the National Exhibitions.
In 1876 he won a third-place medal for Descanso en la marcha (“Rest on the March”); and another third-place medal in 1878 for El Gólgota or Escena del Calvario (“Golgotha” or “Calvary Scene”).
In 1879 Benlliure travelled to Rome, where he remained until 1896.
In 1880 he married María Ortiz Fullana and the couple settled in Rome, where their four children were born.
In 1882 he signed a contract with the English dealer Martin Colnaghi; he also worked for the English dealers Arthur Tooth and Wallis and Son, the French dealer Adolphe Goupil and the Germans Rudolf Baugel, J.P. Schneider, Wedells and Mayer, Eduard Schulte and the firms Hermes and Co., Honrath and Van Baerle.
All these dealers distributed his works around Europe and the United States and also conditioned his style by requiring him to paint in a manner similar to that of Mariano Fortuny and Francisco Domingo Marqués.
Despite painting for this market for small genre paintings, he also produced large works which he submitted to the National Exhibitions.
In 1887 he won a first-place medal for Visión del Coliseo (“View of the Coliseum”), in which critics noted a certain influence of his Italian painter friend Domenico Morelli.
In 1887 he showed this work at the Munich International Exhibition and was awarded a gold medal.
In 1891 he entered Lección de catecismo (“Lesson in Catechism”) in the Berlin Exhibition. He embraced various genres - history paintings, genre scenes, portraiture and landscapes - although he was appreciated above all for his peculiar genre paintings.
When the international markets began to shun his work, as it had become outmoded, he turned to illustrations, such as for La vida de san Francisco de Asís in 1926 and for Blasco Ibáñez’s novel La Barraca in 1929; he maintained intense institutional relations.
After a short stay in Valencia, he returned to Rome in 1903 on being appointed director of the Accademia di Spagna and held this post until returning to Valencia for good in 1913.
In 1924 he was appointed director of the Museum of Fine Arts and in 1930 president of the San Carlos Academy.
He died in Valencia on 5 April 1937.
From: Wikipedia
José Benlliure y Gil (30 September 1855, Valencia – 5 April 1937, Valencia) was a Spanish painter.
He was born at Cañamelar, Valencia, studied painting under Francisco Domingo Marqués, and showed from the first such marked talent that he was sent to the Spanish school in Rome.
From 1903-1913, he was director of the Spanish Academy of Fine Arts.
He was one of the select circle pensioned by the Spanish government for residence in Italy and executed several state orders for the decoration of public buildings; but he owes his chief fame to his large historical paintings, notably the "Vision in the Coliseum".
He became the leader of the Spanish art colony in Rome, where he practised as painter and sculptor.
He married Maria Ortiz in 1880, after establishing his residence in Rome.
In Italy he painted small genre paintings, and began in the city of Assisi on the View of the Coliseum (now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia), a painting he won a first prize in the National exhibition of 1887, together with his brother, the sculptor Mariano Benlliure, who presented the award-winning sculpture of the painter Josep de Ribera.
Benlliure obtained several successes in Paris, Munich, Stuttgart and Berlin with his paintings.
In 1903 he assumed leadership of the Spanish Academy in Rome, succeeding his brother Marian, a position he would keep for ten years.
He was also the father of painter Josep Benlliure i Ortiz, known as Peppino, who was born in Rome in 1884.
In late 1919 he offered a tribute to Rome with an exhibition of 45 paintings in Madrid in the halls of the Theatre Royal.
When he returned to Valencia he was appointed as honorary president of the Circle of Fine Arts in Valencia (Cercle de Belles Arts), and became director of the Museu de Belles Arts de Valencia, a position he held until 1924.
He received the Grand Cross of the Crown of Italy and the Cross of Officer of the Legion of Honor from the French government.
His brothers Juan Antonio and Mariano were also a painter and a sculptor, respectively. | Source: © Wikipedia
José Benlliure y Gil (Valencia, 1º ottobre 1855 - Valencia, 5 aprile 1937) è stato un pittore Spagnolo.
José Benlliure y Gil, nato nel quartiere Cabañal-Cañamelar di Valencia, apparteneva ad una famiglia di artisti. Suo padre Juan Antonio era pittore.
Da sua madre, Angela Gil, José Benlliure prese il secondo cognome. Anche suo figlio, José Benlliure Ortiz (1884-1916) è stato pittore.
Alla precoce morte del figlio, José ne donò molte opere al Museo delle belle arti di Valencia "San Pio V". Suo nipote era l'architetto, scultore e pittore José Luis Benlliure López de Arana, che era figlio dello scultore Mariano Benlliure, fratello di José; anche un altro fratello di José, Juan Antonio Benlliure y Gil, è stato pittore.
Formazione e attività artistica
Dopo gli studi all'Accademia di belle arti "San Carlos" di Valencia, José Benlliure collaborò con suo padre e completò la formazione artistica nello studio del pittore Francisco Domingo Marqués.
A partire dal 1875 inviò sue opere all'Esposizione di Madrid.
Al Salon di Parigi espose quadri di genere, su soggetti spagnoli e dipinti a carattere religioso, in cui esprimeva una adesione profonda al Cristianesimo.
Si inserì nella corrente del simbolismo e col trascorrere del tempo la sua pittura divenne sempre più diafana e surreale.
Trasferitosi a Roma, è stato un punto di riferimento per la colonia di artisti spagnoli. Sposò Maria Ortiz nel 1880 e a Roma nacque suo figlio.
Dal 1903-1913 è stato professore all'Accademia spagnola di belle arti di Roma.
Il re di Spagna Amedeo di Savoia gli commissionò il ritratto di suo figlio Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia-Aosta, divenuto infante di Spagna e Principe delle Asturie.
In molti suoi dipinti la scena è dominata da una sorta di horror vacui che appesantisce lo sguardo d'insieme e distoglie l'attenzione dai particolari. | Fonte: © Wikipedia
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEA6zlrSZtg/X_930Y1W_bI/AAAAAAAG7g0/cAlR16TZ2oIRhDZu0ZD66-m6FdF4fICWACPcBGAsYHg/s0/Facebook.png")
