Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos, Gregorio (1638–1711)

Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos (b. 9 May 1638; d. 1711), Colombia's major colonial painter. Vásquez, a native of Bogotá, studied under Gaspar de Figueroa (1594–1658) and his son Baltasar (1629–1667), both celebrated locally for their canvases. About 1657 Vásquez set up his own studio. With him worked his two children, Feliciana and Bartolomé-Luis, and his brother, Juan Bautista. His patrons were mainly local religious communities. Vásquez's best oeuvre (1680–1705) is religious in theme. Some four hundred paintings are attributed to Vásquez. Many display mediocre composition and perspective and occasional poor figure rendition. These faults have perhaps unfairly been blamed on Vásquez, since there is no agreement regarding the attribution of numerous works.

Vásquez's real forte was drawing. Over one hundred drawings survive, and are truly masterpieces. In 1701, Vásquez was accused of rape and imprisoned for a time. This experience caused him severe economic loss and mental anguish. He died, insane, in Bogotá.

See alsoArt: The Colonial Era .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Guillermo Hernández De Alba, Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballoz (1966).

Francisco Gil Tovar, La obra de Gregorio Vásquez (1980).

Additional Bibliography

Rubiano Caballero, Germán. El dibujo en Colombia: De Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos a los artistas de hoy. Bogotá: Planeta Colombiana Editorial, 1997.

                                  J. LeÓn Helguera