Manuel González Méndez facts for kids
Manuel González Méndez (born February 3, 1843, died September 9, 1909) was a talented Spanish artist. He was a painter, a musician, a sculptor, and even an art teacher. Manuel was born in Santa Cruz de La Palma and passed away in Barcelona.
Manuel's Early Life and Education
Manuel González Méndez started his schooling at the Lancasterian School in his hometown. Many other artists and thinkers from the Canarian Islands also studied there. He also went to a drawing school and sang in a choir at a local church.
Later, he moved to Tenerife, another one of the Canary Islands. He lived first in La Orotava and then in San Cristóbal de La Laguna. There, he finished his high school studies and kept learning music.
Art School and Travels
From 1866 to 1867, Manuel attended the "Academia Provincial de Bellas Artes" in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He focused on landscape painting and watercolor art.
In 1870, after traveling to Italy several times, he moved to Paris, France. He joined the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, a famous art school. His main teacher there was a sculptor named Aimé Millet. Two years later, he won an award for a bas-relief sculpture. A bas-relief is a type of sculpture where the shapes are raised slightly from a flat background. Another one of his teachers was the well-known painter and sculptor, Jean-Léon Gérôme.
During the Franco-Prussian War, Manuel found a creative way to earn money. He painted fans with designs inspired by old Dutch paintings from the 1600s.
Awards and Recognition
Manuel González Méndez received many honors throughout his life. In 1889, he was given the Order of Isabella the Catholic, a special award from Spain. In 1898, he was named a Knight in the Legion of Honor, a very high award from France.
In 1904, the city council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife gave him an important job. He became the professor of "Modelling and Decorative Composition" at the Municipal Drawing School. This meant he taught students how to create sculptures and decorative art.
Manuel's hometown remembered him after his death. In 1984, a street in Santa Cruz de la Palma was named after him. In 2009, exactly 100 years after he passed away, a big art show was held there to celebrate his work.
See also
In Spanish: Manuel González Méndez para niños
