Ricardo Bellver (

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, 23 February 1845 — Madrid, 20 December 1924) was a Spanish

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

Biography

Bellver studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, and finished his sculptural education in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

as a grant holder. He became well known because of his sculpture ''The Fallen Angel'' ('' El Ángel Caído'', 1877), a work inspired by a passage from

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...

's ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an Epic poetry, epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The poem concerns the Bible, biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their ex ...

'',''Catálogo de la Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes'' ("''Catalogue of the National Fine Arts Exhibition''"), Madrid, 1878, p. 86-87. Mentioned by Carlos Reyero in book ''Escultura, museo y estado en la España del siglo XIX: historia, significado y catálogo de la colección nacional de escultura moderna, 1856-1906'',

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

, 2002, and which represents Lucifer falling from Heaven. The sculpture (see picture), of great dramatism and originality, was awarded the first place medal at the Spanish National Fine Arts Exhibition in 1878, and the same year it was cast in bronze for the third Paris World's Fair. Later on, the Prado Museum donated it to the City of Madrid, and in 1885 it was installed in a square with the same name in the Retiro Park (the largest one in Madrid). For that purpose, architect Francisco Jareño (1818–1892) designed a pedestal of granite, bronze and stone. The success of this work made Bellver been accepted as academician. He was director of the Arts and Works School in Madrid. Other works of Bellver are in the Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great, the

Seville Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See (), better known as Seville Cathedral (), is a Catholic cathedral and former mosque in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alc� ...

, Saint Joseph Church in Madrid, Saint Isidore Cemetery and the ''

Palacio de Fomento The Palace of Fomento (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Palacio de Fomento''), also known as the Ministry of Agriculture Building, is a nineteenth-century office building in Madrid, Spain. Designed by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, and built between 1893 ...

'' building in Madrid.

Works

*''

Saint Ines Agnes of Rome (21 January 304) is a virgin martyr, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Churches. She is one of several virgin mar ...

Burial'' (bas-relief) in the Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great, Madrid. *''The Fallen Angel'', ('' El Ángel Caído''), in

Parque del Buen Retiro The Retiro Park (Spanish: , literally "Good Retreat Park"), also known as Buen Retiro Park or simply El Retiro, is one of the largest city parks in Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish monarchy until 1868, when it became a public par ...

, Madrid. *''

Saint Agatha Agatha of Sicily () is a Christian saint. Her Calendar of saints, feast is on 5 February. Agatha was born in Catania, part of the Sicilia (Roman province), Roman Province of Sicily, and was martyred . She is one of several virgin martyrs who are ...

death'', bas-relief (1888). *'' Saint Expeditus carving'' (1916), in San Vicente Martir de Abando Church (

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

). *

Juan Sebastián Elcano Juan Sebastián Elcano (Elkano in modern Basque language, Basque; also known as ''del Cano''; 1486/1487 – 4 August 1526) was a Spaniards, Spanish navigator, ship-owner and explorer of Basques, Basque origin, ship-owner and explorer from Getaria ...

Statue (1888) in Mayor Hall Square in Guetaria (Guipúzcoa). *Neogotical doors of Seville cathedral. *Funerary monument of Luis de la Lastra y Cuesta,

, Capilla del Cristo de Maracaibo (1880). *''Saint Bartolomew'' and ''Saint Andrew'', in the Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great, Madrid. *Monument to

Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, an ...

, Donoso Cortés, Moratín and Meléndez Valdés, Saint Isidore Cemetery, Madrid. * Cardinal Siliceo sepulchre at the Real Colegio de Doncellas Nobles.

Notes

External links

*
Fame by Ricardo Bellver
at the

Museo del Prado The Museo del Prado ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of Art of Europe, European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th ce ...

* Artists from Madrid 1845 births 1924 deaths 20th-century Spanish sculptors 20th-century Spanish male artists 19th-century Spanish sculptors 19th-century Spanish male artists Spanish male sculptors Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando alumni {{Spain-sculptor-stub