Rodrigo Arenas

Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt (23 October 1919 – 14 May 1995) was a Colombian sculptor. At the time of his death in 1995 he was recognized as one of the most important sculptors in Colombia and Latin America. Most of the major cities in Colombia have statues sculpted by Arenas Betancourt.

Arenas Betancourt died on 14 May 1995 in the municipality of Caldas, located in the southern end of the Valley of Aburrá and part of the Medellín Metropolitan Area.

His bronze statues are characterized by their enormous proportions and dramatic expression.

Examples of his artwork are:
*'' Naked Bolívar'' in Pereira
*'' Monumento a la Raza'', bronze and concrete, 38 m height, located in La Alpujarra Administrative Center in Medellín
* Sculptural Complex Vargas Swamp Lancers near Paipa is the largest sculpture in Colombia.
*'' Monument to Effort'' in Armenia
*'' Monument to the Marching Revolution'' in Valledupar
*''Monument to the founders'' in Bogotá (installed 1965)
*''Statue of Simón Bolívar'' in Bogotá (installed 1963)
Additionally to sculpture, Arenas Betancourt worked in printmaking and book illustration.

Gallery

Image:Monumento pantano de vargas, completo. 2006.JPG, Vargas Swamp Lancers, bronze, steel and concrete, 33 m height, Paipa, Boyacá
Image:2018 Monumento a la raza de Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt - La Alpujarra - Medellín.jpg, Monumento a la Raza in Medellín
Image:Monumento al Esfuerzo (Plaza de Bolivar).JPG, Monument to Effort, bronze, steel and concrete, 28 m height, Armenia, Colombia
Image:UdeA-MuseoUniversitario-la esculturaEl hombre creador de energia.JPG, Man, creator of Energy, bronze, steel and concrete, 18 m height, located in University of Antioquia
Image:Bolívar Cóndor, de Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt - Manizales.jpg, Bolivar Condor bronze and concrete, located in the main square of Manizales
Image:Catedral Barranquilla Cristo Libertador.jpg, Liberty Christ, located in Barranquilla
Image:El Flautista- Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt.JPG, The Flute player, concrete and plaster. University of Antioquia
Image:Bolivar Desnudo.jpg, Naked Bolivar, Pereira
Image:Jose Eustasio Rivera.JPG, Monument to Jose Eustasio Rivera, Neiva
Image:Los Potros.JPG, Los Potros, a tribute to José Eustasio Rivera, in Neiva
Image:Aeropuerto_Bogot%C3%A1_Eldorado_Escultura_La_oraci%C3%B3n_al_proscrito_de_Rodrigo_Arenas_Betancourt.jpg, La oración al proscrito in Bogotá
Image:Monumento a La Vida, de Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt - Medellín, 2017.jpg, Monument to life in Medellín
Image:Prometeo Encadenado de Rodrigo Arenas Betancur-Medellin.JPG, Prometheus Bound, bronze
Image:Vista frontal monumento a la Gaitana.jpg, La Gaitana Monument in Neiva
Image:Monumento a Los Fundadores.JPG, Monument to the Founders in Villavicencio

References

People from Antioquia Department
1919 births
1995 deaths
20th-century Colombian sculptors

{{Colombia-sculptor-stub