Autorretrato con Muñecas (1949)

Born in Caracas on May 10 of 1889. He died in Caracas on September 18 of 1954. His childhood passed around in Valencia State of Carabobo. He studied in “Academia de Bellas Artes” in 1908, he was a student of two celebrity venezuelan painters: Emilio Mauri y Herrera Toro. In 1910 he went to España to study in “Escuela de Bellas Artes” of Barcelona, and in 1912, he went to Madrid to study in “Academia de San Fernando”. In 1914 he stayed in Paris, as a guest of the painter Fournier. In 1915 he came back to Venezuela, and he started working to “Círculo de Bellas Artes” he painted view of Caracas. In 1918 he did a famous stage called: “época azul”. In 1925 studied in “Playon”, the next stage “época blanca”, characterized by la elimination of the pigments of colors. This stage finished in 1934, work that was called “época sepia” by Alfredo Boulton. He started an expressionist stage, characterized by figurative art, the isolation and the loneliness. He painted with charcoal, pastel, cardboard, paper and crayons. He also made self-portraits.

In 1953 he was confined in “Sanatorio de San Jorge”, in Caracas, where he paintede his last work.

The Art Gallery “Bellas Artes” has given to him a special hall.

Rewards:
1913; Prize “Asignación de Dibujo de la Antigüedad y Ropajes, Academia de San Fernando” Madrid; 1937; Medal in Universal Exhibition of Paris; 1948: Prize “John Boulton”; “Salón Oficia”l;1951: Prize “Antonio Esteban Frías”, “Salón Oficial”; 1953:Prize “Federico Brandt”,Prize “John Boulton” and National Prize of Painting “Salón Oficial”.