José Campeche
Encyclopedia
José Campeche born in San Juan
, Puerto Rico
, is the first known Puerto Rican
visual artist and considered by many as one of the best rococo
artists in the Americas.
. Because of this mixed descent, he was identified as a mulatto
, a common term during his time. Campeche's father was a restorer and painter of religious statues and had an early influence on the younger Campeche's interest in the arts. He was trained by Luis Paret y Alcazar
, a Spanish court painter banished from Spain
.
and his best known portraits are of:
Puerto Rican society of the times appreciated Campeche's personal and artistic merits. He is considered among the most gifted rococo artists in the Americas. Campeche's works of art can be found today in museums, churches and private collections in Puerto Rico and Venezuela
. Campeche died in the city of San Juan
on November 7, 1809.
where some of his works can be seen and appreciated by the general public. This building is currently being renovated and will be reinaugurated as the National Gallery of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has schools and avenues named after Campeche to honor his memory. The José Campeche High School is located in San Lorenzo
. Manuel Gregorio Tavarez
composed a funeral march "Redención" in Campeche's honor. Puerto Rico's greatest graphic artist Lorenzo Homar
also created a work of art commemorating Campeche. He is buried at the San José Church
in Old San Juan.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, is the first known Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
visual artist and considered by many as one of the best rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
artists in the Americas.
Early years
Campeche was born to Tomás de Rivafrecha y Campeche (1701–1780), a freed slave born in Puerto Rico, and María Jordán y Marqués from the Canary IslandsCanary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. Because of this mixed descent, he was identified as a mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
, a common term during his time. Campeche's father was a restorer and painter of religious statues and had an early influence on the younger Campeche's interest in the arts. He was trained by Luis Paret y Alcazar
Luis Paret y Alcázar
Luis Paret y Alcázar was a Spanish painter of the late-Baroque or Rococo period.He was born in Madrid he first trained with Antonio González Velazquez and attended the Academia Real de San Fernando in Madrid, where he won a second prize in a painting contest in 1760, and first prize in 1766...
, a Spanish court painter banished from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Paintings by Campeche
Campeche distinguished himself with his paintings related to religious themes and of governors and other important personalities. His most famous paintings are:- Virgen de la Soledad de la Victoria
- Our Lady of BethlehemOur Lady of BethlehemOur Lady of Bethlehem is a Flemish-style oil painting from Puerto Rico. Specialists in 15th-century art attribute the painting to the school of the Brussels painter Rogier van der Weyden, or an anonymous disciple of the school.-Details:The image is painted on a wooden canvas...
- The Virgin of the Rosary
- Saint John the Baptist
- The Sacred Family
- The Bishop of San Francisco de la Cuerda
- The Vision of Saint Anthony
- The Rescue of Don Ramón Power y Giralt in honor of Ramon Power y GiraltRamon Power y GiraltCaptain Ramón Power y Giralt , commonly known only as "Ramón Power", was, according to Puerto Rican historian Lidio Cruz Monclova, among the first native born Puerto Ricans to refer to himself as a "Puerto Rican" and to fight for the equal representation of Puerto Rico in front of the parliamentary...
and his best known portraits are of:
- Juan Alejo de ArizmendiJuan Alejo de ArizmendiBishop Juan Alejo de Arizmendi was a patriot and the first Puerto Rican to be consecrated Bishop.-Early years:...
- Ramón de Castro
- Miguel A. de Ustariz
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| Virgen de la Soledad de la Victoria (c. 1782-1789) |
The Rescue of Don Ramón Power y Giralt (c. 1790) |
"Ramón de Castro" (1800) |
Puerto Rican society of the times appreciated Campeche's personal and artistic merits. He is considered among the most gifted rococo artists in the Americas. Campeche's works of art can be found today in museums, churches and private collections in Puerto Rico and Venezuela
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...
. Campeche died in the city of San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
on November 7, 1809.
Namesakes
There is a José Campeche room located in the former Dominican Convent in Old San Juan, Puerto RicoOld San Juan, Puerto Rico
Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and it is the historic colonial section of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Location:...
where some of his works can be seen and appreciated by the general public. This building is currently being renovated and will be reinaugurated as the National Gallery of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has schools and avenues named after Campeche to honor his memory. The José Campeche High School is located in San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
San Lorenzo is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the eastern central region, north of Patillas and Yabucoa; south of Gurabo; east of Caguas and Cayey; and west of Juncos and Las Piedras. San Lorenzo is spread over ten wards and San Lorenzo Pueblo...
. Manuel Gregorio Tavarez
Manuel Gregorio Tavarez
Manuel Gregorio Tavarez , was Puerto Rico's first renowned classical and danza composer and the inspiration behind future generations of composers.-Early years:...
composed a funeral march "Redención" in Campeche's honor. Puerto Rico's greatest graphic artist Lorenzo Homar
Lorenzo Homar
Lorenzo Homar , is considered by many to be Puerto Rico's greatest graphic artist.-Early years:Homar, born in the "Barrio" Puerta de Tierra of San Juan, Puerto Rico, inherited his love for the arts from both of his parents. His father was an arts promoter and his mother a pianist. He went to...
also created a work of art commemorating Campeche. He is buried at the San José Church
San José Church
San José Church , located in Old San Juan within the historic colonial section of the capital of Puerto Rico, is one of the first significant works of architecture on the island...
in Old San Juan.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Black history in Puerto Rico