Jesús María Espinosa
Encyclopedia
Jesús María Espinosa Fernández (1908–1995) was a Colombia
n painter.
He was born in the town of Belalcázar, in the Department of Cauca
, on August 10, 1908. He was a descendant of José María Espinosa (1796–1883), a painter and miniaturist known for his portraits of Antonio Nariño
and of Simón Bolivar
.
As a youngster, Espinosa's paternal grandfather taught him how to paint; supported by him, Espinosa figured out a way to extract pigments from vegetables in order to give color to his first paintings.
He was educated in the city of Popayán
, and then began his formal study of painting at the Escuela de Bellas Artes, in the capital Bogotá
. He took lessons from the art teacher Roberto Pizano (1896–1929). In 1929, he was awarded a scholarship by the Colombian government and traveled to Paris
to continue his studies in painting at the prestigious Académie Julian
, under the direction of Paul Alberts Laurens (1870–1934).
When he returned to Colombia, he set up a small academy in the city of Cali
. He met composer Antonio Maria Valencia (1902–1952) who suggested that Espinosa move his small academy of painting to the newly founded Conservatory of Music. In 1934, Espinosa's Academy became the School of Visual Arts at the Instituto Departamental de Bellas Artes in Cali. He died in Cali on July 1995, leaving a marvelous legacy of art works.
Among his students were Edgar Negret
, Hernando Tejada and others.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n painter.
He was born in the town of Belalcázar, in the Department of Cauca
Cauca Department
Cauca is a Department of Colombia. Located in the south-western part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east and the Nariño Department to the south, covering a total area of...
, on August 10, 1908. He was a descendant of José María Espinosa (1796–1883), a painter and miniaturist known for his portraits of Antonio Nariño
Antonio Nariño
Antonio de la Santísima Concepción Nariño y Álvarez was an ideological Colombian precursor and one of the early political and military leaders of the independence movement in the New Granada - Early political activity :Nariño was born to an aristocratic family...
and of Simón 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...
.
As a youngster, Espinosa's paternal grandfather taught him how to paint; supported by him, Espinosa figured out a way to extract pigments from vegetables in order to give color to his first paintings.
He was educated in the city of Popayán
Popayán
Popayán is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between Colombia's Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range...
, and then began his formal study of painting at the Escuela de Bellas Artes, in the capital Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. He took lessons from the art teacher Roberto Pizano (1896–1929). In 1929, he was awarded a scholarship by the Colombian government and traveled to 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...
to continue his studies in painting at the prestigious Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
, under the direction of Paul Alberts Laurens (1870–1934).
When he returned to Colombia, he set up a small academy in the city of Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
. He met composer Antonio Maria Valencia (1902–1952) who suggested that Espinosa move his small academy of painting to the newly founded Conservatory of Music. In 1934, Espinosa's Academy became the School of Visual Arts at the Instituto Departamental de Bellas Artes in Cali. He died in Cali on July 1995, leaving a marvelous legacy of art works.
Among his students were Edgar Negret
Edgar Negret
Edgar Negret is a modern Latin American abstract sculptor. He attended the School of Fine Arts in Cali, Colombia...
, Hernando Tejada and others.