Dancer at The Mariano Benlliure Museum, Valencia

myminifactory

Mariano Benlliure was a renowned Spanish sculptor, who brought numerous public monuments and stunning religious sculptures to life in Spain with his heroic realist style. Born on September 8, 1862, in the vibrant El Grau quarter of Valencia, he showed an early inclination towards bullfighting themes, creating intricate wax models that were later cast in bronze. At just thirteen years old, Benlliure showcased a remarkable wax modello of a picador at the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1876. This sparked a desire to become a painter, and he set off for Paris with his expenses paid by his master, Francisco Domingo Marqués. However, it was a trip to Rome in 1879 that profoundly influenced Benlliure's career, as he was awestruck by the sculptures of Michelangelo. In 1887, Benlliure made Madrid his permanent home, where he participated in the Exposición Nacional and won first prize with his portrait sculpture of the renowned painter Ribera. His style is characterized by meticulous naturalism combined with an impressionistic spontaneity that sets him apart. Throughout his illustrious career, Benlliure created numerous portrait busts and public monuments, including a tomb for Práxedes Mateo Sagasta in the Pantheon of Illustrious Men in Madrid, a monument to José de San Martín in Lima, Peru, and a bronze memorial to María Cristina de Borbón in Madrid. One of his most notable works is the equestrian statue of Alfonso XII of Spain in Madrid's Buen Retiro Park, which serves as the centerpiece of a commemorative design created by architect José Grases Riera. Benlliure's artwork even appeared on the Spanish 500 ptas banknote in the 1950s, featuring his sculpture "Sepulchro De Gayarre en el Roncal" on the reverse side. This remarkable piece is part of the "Scan The World" initiative, a non-profit endeavor launched by MyMiniFactory to create a digital archive of fully printable sculptures and artworks from around the globe. Scan The World is an open-source community project, inviting anyone with interesting items to contribute by emailing stw@myminifactory.com.