Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt

Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt (23 October 1919 – 14 May 1995^[1]) 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.^[1] Most of the major cities in Colombia have statues sculpted by Arenas Betancourt.^{[citation needed]}

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Arenas and the second or maternal family name is 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.^[1]

His bronze statues are characterized by their enormous proportions and dramatic expression.^[1]

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)^[2]
• Statue of Simón Bolívar in Bogotá (installed 1963)^[2]

Additionally to sculpture, Arenas Betancourt worked in printmaking and book illustration.^[3]

Gallery

• 
  Vargas Swamp Lancers, bronze, steel and concrete, 33 m height, Paipa, Boyacá
• 
  Monumento a la Raza in Medellín
• 
  Monument to Effort, bronze, steel and concrete, 28 m height, Armenia, Colombia
• 
  Man, creator of Energy, bronze, steel and concrete, 18 m height, located in University of Antioquia
• 
  Bolivar Condor bronze and concrete, located in the main square of Manizales
• 
  Liberty Christ, located in Barranquilla
• 
  The Flute Player, concrete and plaster. University of Antioquia
• 
  Naked Bolivar, Pereira
• 
  Monument to José Eustasio Rivera, Neiva
• 
  Los Potros, a tribute to José Eustasio Rivera, in Neiva
• 
  La oración al proscrito in Bogotá
• 
  Monument to life in Medellín
• 
  Prometheus Bound, bronze
• 
  La Gaitana Monument in Neiva
• 
  Monument to the Founders in Villavicencio

References

1. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Juan Fernando Tabares (2006). "El maestro Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt". "Estoy cargado de tigre", frases de Álvaro Uribe. Intermedio Editores. pp. 151–152.
2. Jacobs, Daniel (2018). The rough guide to Colombia. Stephen Keeling (2nd ed.). London. ISBN 978-0-241-31170-7. OCLC 1064634629.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
3. "Collections Online | British Museum". www.britishmuseum.org. Retrieved 11 January 2023.