Jesús Fructuoso Contreras Chávez (January 20, 1866 – July 13, 1902) was a Mexican sculptor. He has been called the most "representative sculptor of late 19th century Mexico".

Biography

Jesús Fructuoso Contreras was born in

Aguascalientes Aguascalientes, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Aguascalientes, is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. At 22°N and with an average altitude of above sea level it is pre ...

on 20 January 1866. Contreras received his primary education at Placido Jimenez's school, where he studied drawing. Such was his success that at 14 years, his classmates and teachers supported him to continue his studies at the National School of Fine Arts in Mexico City. At the age of 21, he was given a scholarship by the government to study in Paris. He was a nephew of José María Chávez Alonso. Due to the support he received from the government of

Porfirio Diaz Porfirio is a given name in Portuguese and Spanish, derived from the Greek Porphyry (''porphyrios'' "purple-clad"). It can refer to: * Porfirio Salinas – Mexican-American artist * Porfirio Armando Betancourt – Honduran football player * ...

, he was able to work on various monuments, including twenty bronze sculptures on the

Paseo de la Reforma Paseo de la Reforma (literally "Promenade of La Reforma, the Reform") is a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. It was designed at the behest of Maximilian of Mexico, Emperor Maximilian by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig d ...

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

. With support from the government of Aguascalientes, Contreras founded the ''Fundición Artística Mexicana'', where some of the sculptures on Paseo de la Reforma were created. While in Paris, his right arm was amputated as a result of ill-attended cancer. He died in Mexico City on 13 July 1902, at age 36.

Legacy

A homage by the Government of Guanajuato City was held in January 2016 to celebrate the 150 year anniversary of Contreras' birth. In November 2016, the '' Patio de Jesús F. Contreras'' was inaugurated in the Historic Center of Aguascalientes City; a public space that includes several of Contreras' works.

Gallery

File:Monumento Ignacio Zaragoza.jpg,

Monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

Ignacio Zaragoza Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín (March 24, 1829 – September 8, 1862) was a Mexican Army officer and politician. He is best known for leading a Mexican army of 3,791 men which defeated a 5,730-strong force of French troops at the battle of Puebla ...

File:MalgreToutDF.JPG, ''

Malgré Tout ''Malgré Tout'' is an 1898 sculpture by Jesús Fructuoso Contreras, depicting a nude woman lying down struggling against chains to rise. There are copies in the Museo Nacional de Arte and the Alameda Central, in Mexico City, as well as the A ...

'' (Despite Everything) located at the

Museo Nacional de Arte The Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) () is the Mexico, Mexican national art museum, located in the Centro (Mexico City), historical center of Mexico City. The museum is housed in a neoclassical building at No. 8 Tacuba, Col. Centro, Mexico City. It ...

in Mexico City File:NezahualcoyotlGardenTADF.JPG, Monument to Nezahualcoyotl File:Monumento a la Paz, de Jesús F. Contreras 02.JPG, Monument to Peace in

Guanajuato, Guanajuato Guanajuato (, Otomi language, Otomi: ) is a municipalities of Mexico, municipality in central Mexico and the capital of the Guanajuato, State of Guanajuato. It is part of the macroregion of the Bajío. It is located in a narrow valley, which makes i ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Contreras, Jesus Fructuoso 1866 births 1902 deaths Mexican sculptors Mexican male sculptors Artists from Aguascalientes