Santiago Martínez Delgado (1906–1954) was a Colombian painter, sculptor,

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

and writer. He established a reputation as a prominent muralist during the 1940s and is also known for his watercolors, oil paintings, illustrations and woodcarvings. Martínez attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts under the tutelage of Ruth VanSickle Ford. In 1933, he was awarded the

Logan Medal of the arts The Logan Medal of the Arts was an arts prize initiated in 1907 and associated with the Art Institute of Chicago, the Frank G Logan family and the Society for Sanity in Art. From 1917 through 1940, 270 awards were given for contributions to Amer ...

for his mural at the "

Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Exposit ...

" International Exhibition in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. During these years in Chicago, he produced various illustrations for

Esquire Magazine ''Esquire'' is an American men's magazine. Currently published in the United States by Hearst, it also has more than 20 international editions. Founded in 1933, it flourished during the Great Depression and World War II under the guidance of ...

and participated in the

Federal Art Project The Federal Art Project (1935–1943) was a New Deal program to fund the visual arts in the United States. Under national director Holger Cahill, it was one of five Federal Project Number One projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administratio ...

. Martínez was a disciple of

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

Taliesin Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Britons (Celtic people), Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the ''Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to ...

, where he began to experiment with the

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

style. In Colombia, Martínez was awarded the gold medal in the 1940 Salón de Artistas Colombianos and was again awarded the top prize in 1941. In 1947, Martinez Delgado painted the

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

at the ''Salón Elíptico'' in the Colombian Congress Building, considered one of the greatest murals of the 20th century. Martínez was then awarded La Orden De Boyaca (Colombia's highest government honor). Martinez was at the top of the Latin-American fine-arts scene when he died at the age of 47.

Biography

Genealogy

Martinez's ancestry profoundly influenced his art choices and books. Born into an aristocratic family in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

, his father was the Conservative party leader Luis Martinez and his mother Mercedes Delgado Mallarino. It was a difficult childhood due to his father's expulsion from Colombia as a result of an indictment for his involvement in an earlier

Coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

Early years

Martinez began studying art by age 11 under the instruction of Colombian Master Roberto Pizano and following Andrés de Santa Maria at the Bogotá Fine Arts Academy. In 1925, he moved to Cartagena, where, at the age of 18, he directed and illustrated some sections for the newspaper "La Patria" under the pseudonym of "Sanmardel".

Chicago and Taliesin

Soon after, in 1926, Martínez traveled to

, where he studied and worked for over five years at the Fine Arts Institute of Chicago under the tutoring of Ruth VanSickle Ford. In Chicago, Martínez befriended and worked alongside

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realism painter and printmaker. He is one of America's most renowned artists and known for his skill in depicting modern American life and landscapes. Born in Nyack, New York, to a ...

Isamu Noguchi was an American artist, furniture designer and Landscape architecture, landscape architect whose career spanned six decades from the 1920s. Known for his sculpture and public artworks, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Grah ...

Willem de Kooning Willem de Kooning ( , ; April 24, 1904 – March 19, 1997) was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist. Born in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, he moved to the United States in 1926, becoming a US citizen in 1962. In 1943, he married pa ...

and Edgar Kaufmann Jr., among others. Wright was quoted: "Young Santiago's brush lines are elegant and his attitude gracious." In 1929, Martínez was awarded first prize for the "Best advertisement illustration" by the US Federation of Commercial Artists. Shortly after, he won the Logan Medal for the Arts for his mural: "Colombian evolution" at the 1933 Chicago International World Fair and exposition. At the fair, Martínez also assisted with the Murals at the General Motors Exhibit, as Diego Rivera's commission was cancelled due to the Lenin controversy in New York.

Back in Colombia

Martínez returned to Colombia in 1934 with an innovative line pioneering in the pictorial Art Deco style. In 1936, Martínez founded the Art school and decoration at the Universidad Javeriana Femenina. From 1937 to 1940, he directed and illustrated the magazine "Revista Vida", which became the main outlet for cultural media at the time. It featured interviews of world-renowned artists like

Joan Miró Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , ; ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan Spanish painter, sculptor and Ceramic art, ceramist. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona ...

and writers like his longtime friend Gabriela Mistral. He also made various illustrations for the America, Anarkos, Cromos and PAN Magazines.

Madonna dilemma

Martinez, who was an avid historian and protector of the Colombian artistic heritage, discovered a painting by

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...

de Urbino. This discovery started a debate among Colombian scholars that is now referred to as "The dilemma of ( La Madonna de Bogotá) (). Martinez Delgado managed to prove the provenance of the piece along with its authenticity with the use of X rays and detailed forensic work. In 1939, he took the painting to New York City during the 1939 World's Fair, where experts from the

Metropolitan Museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the third-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas. With 5.36 million v ...

, the Chicago Art Institute and the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

examined the painting. Among the experts were: Daniel Catton, Rich A. Sweet, Ruber H. Clark, Leo A. Marzolo, Adolfo Venturiy and Wilhelm Valentiner. They all concurred with Master Martinez and confirmed its authenticity. The painting was included in the artist's catalog as the "Madonna of Bogotá."

Golden years

In 1940, Martínez participated in the first Salón de Artistas Colombianos, where he won the Gold Medal for the oil on canvas "El que volvió"; the subsequent year, he won first prize for the oil on canvas "Interludio". (Today at the Colombian National Museum). In 1943, Martínez made his first major mural in Colombia at the school Presentación of Chapinero. In 1945, started work on the Cúcuta Cathedral stations, as well as the murals and carvings at the city's government building. That year, Martínez also illustrated the biography of Sucre realized by Carlos Arturo Caparroso (Editorial Horizontes, Bogotá), and was designated as a Member of the Historic Academy of Bogotá. In 1947, Martinez was commissioned by the Honorable Alberto Lleras Camargo, then-director of the OEA, and the Honorable

Laureano Gómez Laureano Eleuterio Gómez Castro (20 February 1889 – 13 July 1965) was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served as the 18th President of Colombia from 1950 to 1953. In November 1951 poor health led him to cede presidential pow ...

, the Inter-American Conference organizer, to create the mural for the elliptic chamber of the National Congress Buildingbr>
He finished the

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

in time for the Inter American conference. General

George Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under pres ...

of the US called the piece a wonder of contemporary art, and was relieved that the capitol was spared from the fires during the Bogotazo. Martinez was given the Cruz de Boyacá award by President Mariano Ospina Pérez Martinez also became the premier historian on

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...

and his army during the 1940s and 1950s. His limited edition Iconography on Bolivar is considered the most accurate work on the image and resalable of Simón Bolívar.

Early death

In 1948, Martínez founded a commercial art studio. In the following years, he made various well-recognized brand logos, illustrations, history books, and over 30 majestic murals in addition to many of his best known paintings. During this period, he wrote and directed the dramatization of radio scripts, such as "El Virrey Solis", that broke all the ratings records for that year. Martínez also made plays, including "Estampas místicas de la tierra del Señor", "Juan Manuel el Gavilán" (unedited) and "El derecho de nacer". In 1953, he was commissioned by

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...

, to paint an oil on canvas of 8 x 4 meters (the largest Oil on Canvas in South America) for the Bank of New York in Bogotá, but he died before finishing it. It was placed on the bank, where it remains today as the largest oil on canvas in Colombia. Rockefeller, in a speech during the presentation of the painting to the public, called Martinez Delgado "the greatest Latin American artist of the decade"."Catalogo Expocicion Postuma, Martinez Delgado, Santiago / 1974 / Bogotá -Colombia / Biblioteca Lian Angel Arango. / Por Joaquin Pineros Corpas y la Colombiana de Seguros" – p. 5 (Today the building is the Interior Ministry Building and City Bank donated the painting to the Colombian Government.)
Martinez died on January 12, in the hacienda "El Molino", of a stroke.
On August 3 of the same year, the National Museum, with the collaboration of the Education Ministry, organized an exposition in his honor.

Listing of selected works

Martinez produced over 100 paintings in his career, in addition to murals, produced illustrations for books, lithographs, a great number of drawings, dozens of sculptures, and various other projects, including a large number of books and published articles before passing at the age of 47. The list below has some of his most significant works.

Murals

* A century of Colombian evolution – 1933 3rd Pavilion Chicago World Fair - Chicago. * Columns GE pavilion – 1933 General Electric Pavilion Chicago World Fair - Chicago. * Bolivar and Santander in the Cucuta Congress – Elliptic Room of the National Congress - Bogotá. * Ceiling fresco in the San Carlos Palace – Old presidential home, current foreign ministry - Bogotá. * Fresco of Bavaria Building - Hall of the lobby old Bavaria Building - Bogotá. * Building Caja Colombiana de Ahorros - Banco Santander - Bogotá. * Cid Campeador – Cid Theater - Bogotá. * El hombre - Theater Colombia - Bogotá. * Room Hotel Granada (Missing)- Bogotá. * Windmills of Quixote – Walls of café El Molino - Bogotá. * Rooms Club Campestre - Club Campestre de Medellín - Medellín. * El Trabajador - Banco Comercial Antioqueño - Medellín. * Sin Titulo - Banco de Colombia - Medellín. * Los Proceres - Banco de Colombia - Cúcuta * Episodes of Santander's Life – National Palace of Cúcuta - Cúcuta. * Madono of el Molino - Hacienda el Molino - Madrid, Colombia

Sculpture

* Rock face at the front of the National Palace in Cúcuta - Cucuta * The Carving Collection made at Taliesin - Private Collection - USA * The head of John the Baptist - National Museum - Bogotá * Carvings at the Polytechnic School - Bogotá

Paintings/various media

* Bolívar (Charcoal) - Private Collection * Mío Cristo del Monte - Private Collection * The stories of Grim - Private Collection * An Afternoon at the Hacienda - Private Collection * Conchita Cintrón - Private Collection * Head of Girl - Private Collection * Illustrations for Vida - over 300 - ? * Door Church of San Francisco - ?

Oil on Canvas

* Interludio - Museo Nacional - Bogotá * El que volvio - Private Collection * Retrato de José María Cordovez Moure - Acadeima de Historia - Bogotá * Gold Diggers - Private Collection * Don Quixote de la Mancha - Private Collection * The rice of Jesus in the Cross - Cucuta Cathedral - Cucuta * Jesus meets with the Virgin Mery - Cucuta Cathedral - Cucuta * Jesus and Pilates - Cucuta Cathedral - Cucuta * Agony of Jesus - Cucuta Cathedral - Cucuta * Jesus carrying the Cross - Cucuta Cathedral - Cucuta * Natural resources of Colombia - Interior Ministry Building - Bogotá

Watercolors

* Luisita Kling Fernández - Private Collection * Amanecida - Private Collection * Castle of San Felipe of Barajas - Private Collection * Afternoon in La Mancha - Private Collection * El Picador - Private Collection * Potranca - Private Collection * María Cecilia Aparicio Concha - Private Collection * Interior - Private Collection * Notes of Cartagena - Gun Club - Bogotá * Walls of Cartagena - Gun Club Bogotá * Quixote - Private Collection * Sancho Panza - Private Collection * Sketch for the fresco of the Salón Elíptico - Private Collection * Flight of the Ducks - Private Collection * Head of Quixote - Private Collection * Thinking Girl - Private Collection * Hunting Trophy - Private Collection * Sad Girl - Private Collection * Head of Jesus - Private Collection * Marina - Private Collection * Procession - Private Collection * Construction - Private Collection * Mariscal Suere - Private Collection * Home of Virrey Sámano - Private Collection * Callejas of Santafé - Private Collection * Cultural dresses of Colombia, Ecuador, Perú y Brasil - Private Collection * Antonio José de Sucre, Mariscal de Ayacucho - Private Collection * Bullfighters - Private Collection * Sketch of the Fresco Molino Chapel in Cajicá - Private Collection * The Te Flower - Private Collection

List of books by Martinez

*Title: Ensayo iconográfico del gran mariscal de Ayacucho Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial:Bogotá : Ediciones de Santiago Martínez Delgado Year: 1945 *Title: In memoriam Belisario Caicedo González Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial: Cali : Carvajal year: 19-- *Title: A. J. de Sucre Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial: Bogotá : Tip. Prag Year: 1945 *Title: A propósito de don Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial: Bogotá Vida Year: 1941 *Title: El arte y la ciencia Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial:Bogotá Vida Year: 1942 *Title: Bolívar Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial: Santiago Martinez Edicion numerada 100 Year: 1944 *Title:Carlos Polanco : discípulo de Zurbarán Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial:Bogotá Vida Year:1939 *Title:La casa colombiana : decoración de interiores Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial:Bogotá Sabado Year: 1944 *Title:El crimen de Berruecos Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial:Bogotá Vida Year: 1942 *Title:El tigre Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial:Bogotá Vida year:1936 *Title: Una reseña iconográfica del ejército y de las armas libertadoras Author: Santiago Martinez Delgado Editorial: Bogotá Tipografía Praga year: 1944

Notes and references

Printed sources

* *

Online sources

External links

Online Gallery of Master MartinezAskart Market ifo about artistWebsite about Colombian Artists
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez Delgado, Santiago 1906 births 1954 deaths School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni Colombian muralists Artists from Bogotá 20th-century Colombian sculptors 20th-century Colombian painters 20th-century Colombian male artists Federal Art Project artists Colombian male painters