Antonio Herrera Toro facts for kids
Antonio Herrera Toro (born January 16, 1857 – died June 26, 1914) was a famous Venezuelan painter. He was also an art critic and a professor.
Biography
Antonio Herrera Toro was born in Valencia, Carabobo. He started learning art in 1869. His first teacher was Martín Tovar y Tovar. Five years later, in 1874, he joined the Academy of Fine Arts in Caracas. There, he studied with José Manuel Maucó and Miguel Navarro Cañizares.
In 1875, Antonio received a special scholarship from the government. This allowed him to travel and study art in Paris, France, and Rome, Italy. He came back to Venezuela in 1881. He brought with him sketches for a painting called Assumption of the Virgin. The Archbishop of Caracas, José Antonio Ponte, had asked him to create this artwork. Antonio used these sketches to paint large murals at Caracas Cathedral. He worked on these murals with help from another artist, Cristóbal Rojas.
In 1883, Antonio painted a famous scene: the last moments of Simón Bolívar. This painting was made to celebrate 100 years since Bolívar's birth. The next year, he went to Peru. He traveled there for his former teacher, Martín Tovar y Tovar. Antonio made sketches at the battle sites of Junín and Ayacucho. Tovar had been asked to create paintings of these battles for the Palacio Federal Legislativo. Sadly, Tovar passed away, so Antonio had to finish the Battle of Ayacucho painting himself.
Later in his life, Antonio Herrera Toro also became a journalist. He wrote articles using the pen name "Santoro." He wrote a lot for a cultural magazine called El Cojo Ilustrado. He also helped start another newspaper called El Granuja.
In 1892, he was put in charge of the government's "Office of Buildings and Ornamentation." Then, in 1908, he became the Director of the Art Academy. This happened after the previous director, Emilio Jacinto Mauri, died. Early in 1909, many students at the academy went on strike. They wanted changes to what they were being taught. Two years later, in 1911, Antonio worked with Pedro Arismendi Brito to create new rules for the "Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes." This new institute would teach music and acting, as well as painting and sculpture. Antonio tried to resign from his director role, but his resignation was not accepted. So, even with student protests, he stayed as director until he passed away in Caracas.
Selected paintings
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Self-portrait (1895)
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Ricaurte in San Mateo
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Patio Interior
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The Bishop
Visits his Studio -
Portrait of
Eduardo Blanco
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Herrera Toro para niños
