Cristóbal Rojas
Encyclopedia
Cristóbal Rojas was one of the most important and high-profile Venezuela
n painters of the 19th century. Rojas's styles varied considerably throughout his life, and he displayed talents in painting that ranged primarily for dramatic effect, to works done in the Impressionist style.
in the Valles del Tuy to parents who worked in the medical profession. Part of his childhood occurred during the middle of the federal war (1859–1863) and Cúa was particularly affected by the events of the war. He initiated studies under his grandfather, José Luis Rojas, who taught him how to draw and motivated him to improve. At 13 years old, his father died and he was forced to begin work in a tobacco
factory in Cúa to help support his family.
In 1878, an earthquake devastated the Valles del Tuy region, and the Rojas faced poverty
. As a result he moved to Caracas
where he continued his painting studies, despite again having to work in the tobacco industry to support his mother and family.
In Caracas he attended classes by José Manuel Maucó at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Between 1880 and 1882, he developed a keen interest in oils and displayed a primitive technique that would prevail in his later paintings such as Ruinas de Cúa después del Terremoto and Ruinas del templo de la Merced. During this time he became acquainted with the painter Antonio Herrera Toro
, also coming under contract as Toro's assistant to paint Caracas Cathedral
.
In 1883, Rojas exhibited his La muerte de Girardot en Bárbula (The death of Girardot in Bárbula) in the Salón del Centenario to commemorate the birth of Simon Bolivar
and won a silver medal in second place along with the painter Arturo Michelena
. This award would grant him a scholarship by government amounting to 50 pesos each month, to study in Europe
. In early 1884 he had moved to study in Paris
where he established a friendship with Emilio Boggio. In the period between 1883 to 1890 Rojas would experiment slowly with different pictorial tendencies and techniques ranging from post-romanticism
to impressionism
.
Melancholic, and with an uncertain temperament, Rojas was inspired by examples of artwork he discovered on his continuous visits to the Louvre
. Between 1886 and 1889 he exhibited many paintings in the Paris City Hall
, including La miseria (1886); El violinista enfermo (1886); La taberna (1877); El plazo vencido (1887); La primera y última comunión (1888) and El bautizo (1889).
With El Bautizo , a notable change in his work is observed. With a more acute perception of chromatic atmosphere, the painting displayed clear Dutch influences, a style which was also reflected in a later painting he produced in 1889 Dante y Beatriz a orillas del Leteo. Towards the end of 1889, Rojas moved away from the painting of dramatic effects which he had typically displayed at Paris Hall, and began to display talent for scenes and portraits, using colours and paying attention to details with impressionism
. However the subsidies for his scholarship would soon run out, and he became plagued with tuberculosis
. He was forced to return to Venezuela in 1890, bringing with himself his last paintings, a portrait of President Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl
and The Purgatorio, a depiction of purgatory
(both 1890). Soon after his return to Caracas, he died on November 8 of 1890, around 5 weeks before his 33rd birthday.
Journalist Enrique Rivodó who visited Rojas in Paris in 1885, described the painter as "Somewhat pale, with small moustache
and black hair, that emphasize his smooth set of melancholic eyes".
Rojas was known for his reserved but highly passionate nature, rarely socialising with others around him and preferring to study art in his own medium. Peers and artistic commentators have consistently referred to him as "melancholic". Jose Antonio Hedderich, in an interesting article published in the National Magazine of Culture,after studying the life of Rojas described him; "He was of a shy character, that one was aware of the distance that existed between him and those who surrounded to him. He had few friends". However, Hedderich also continues to identify that Rojas was of a highly emotional nature. Once remarking that, "He had almost fatalistic temperament and was emphatically sad". According to Hedderich, Rojas was embittered by excessive guilty feelings about life and was acutely aware of his conscience. These feelings were often reflected in some of some of his works such as his purgatory
painting, painted shortly before his death in the knowledge he was going to die from tuberculosis.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n painters of the 19th century. Rojas's styles varied considerably throughout his life, and he displayed talents in painting that ranged primarily for dramatic effect, to works done in the Impressionist style.
Biography
Cristóbal Rojas Poleo was born in the city of CúaCúa
Cúa is a small city capital of the Urdaneta Municipality, located in the Miranda State in the north of Venezuela with an altitude of 490 m...
in the Valles del Tuy to parents who worked in the medical profession. Part of his childhood occurred during the middle of the federal war (1859–1863) and Cúa was particularly affected by the events of the war. He initiated studies under his grandfather, José Luis Rojas, who taught him how to draw and motivated him to improve. At 13 years old, his father died and he was forced to begin work in a tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
factory in Cúa to help support his family.
In 1878, an earthquake devastated the Valles del Tuy region, and the Rojas faced poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
. As a result he moved to Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
where he continued his painting studies, despite again having to work in the tobacco industry to support his mother and family.
In Caracas he attended classes by José Manuel Maucó at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Between 1880 and 1882, he developed a keen interest in oils and displayed a primitive technique that would prevail in his later paintings such as Ruinas de Cúa después del Terremoto and Ruinas del templo de la Merced. During this time he became acquainted with the painter Antonio Herrera Toro
Antonio Herrera Toro
Antonio Herrera Toro was a Venezuelan painter. He worked with Martin Tovar y Tovar on some of his decorations of the Federal Palace, but was also an artist in his own right, known especially for his portraits...
, also coming under contract as Toro's assistant to paint Caracas Cathedral
Caracas Cathedral
The Caracas Cathedral is the seat of the archdiocese of Caracas, located in one corner of the Plaza Bolívar in Caracas, Venezuela. The colonial chapel of the Trinity is notable because it is where the parents and wife of Simón Bolívar are buried.-History:...
.
In 1883, Rojas exhibited his La muerte de Girardot en Bárbula (The death of Girardot in Bárbula) in the Salón del Centenario to commemorate the birth of Simon Bolivar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
and won a silver medal in second place along with the painter Arturo Michelena
Arturo Michelena
Arturo Michelena was a Venezuelan painter born in Valencia, Carabobo State. He began to paint at a young age under his father's tutelage. Traveled to Paris where he studied in the famous Académie Julian...
. This award would grant him a scholarship by government amounting to 50 pesos each month, to study in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In early 1884 he had moved to study in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he established a friendship with Emilio Boggio. In the period between 1883 to 1890 Rojas would experiment slowly with different pictorial tendencies and techniques ranging from post-romanticism
Post-romanticism
Post-romanticism or Postromanticism refers to a range of cultural products and attitudes emerging in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, after the period of Romanticism....
to impressionism
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
.
Melancholic, and with an uncertain temperament, Rojas was inspired by examples of artwork he discovered on his continuous visits to the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
. Between 1886 and 1889 he exhibited many paintings in the Paris City Hall
Hôtel de Ville, Paris
The Hôtel de Ville |City Hall]]) in :Paris, France, is the building housing the City of Paris's administration. Standing on the place de l'Hôtel de Ville in the city's IVe arrondissement, it has been the location of the municipality of Paris since 1357...
, including La miseria (1886); El violinista enfermo (1886); La taberna (1877); El plazo vencido (1887); La primera y última comunión (1888) and El bautizo (1889).
With El Bautizo , a notable change in his work is observed. With a more acute perception of chromatic atmosphere, the painting displayed clear Dutch influences, a style which was also reflected in a later painting he produced in 1889 Dante y Beatriz a orillas del Leteo. Towards the end of 1889, Rojas moved away from the painting of dramatic effects which he had typically displayed at Paris Hall, and began to display talent for scenes and portraits, using colours and paying attention to details with impressionism
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
. However the subsidies for his scholarship would soon run out, and he became plagued with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. He was forced to return to Venezuela in 1890, bringing with himself his last paintings, a portrait of President Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl
Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl
Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl was President of Venezuela from 1888 to 1890. He was the first civilian president who was elected by constitutional procedures in 50 years, and the only one who could finish his term properly, until 74 years later.Elected by Antonio Guzmán like his successor, Rojas tried to...
and The Purgatorio, a depiction of purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
(both 1890). Soon after his return to Caracas, he died on November 8 of 1890, around 5 weeks before his 33rd birthday.
Personality
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
and black hair, that emphasize his smooth set of melancholic eyes".
Rojas was known for his reserved but highly passionate nature, rarely socialising with others around him and preferring to study art in his own medium. Peers and artistic commentators have consistently referred to him as "melancholic". Jose Antonio Hedderich, in an interesting article published in the National Magazine of Culture,after studying the life of Rojas described him; "He was of a shy character, that one was aware of the distance that existed between him and those who surrounded to him. He had few friends". However, Hedderich also continues to identify that Rojas was of a highly emotional nature. Once remarking that, "He had almost fatalistic temperament and was emphatically sad". According to Hedderich, Rojas was embittered by excessive guilty feelings about life and was acutely aware of his conscience. These feelings were often reflected in some of some of his works such as his purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
painting, painted shortly before his death in the knowledge he was going to die from tuberculosis.