Mariano Benlliure y Gil (Valencia, September 8, 1862-Madrid, November 9, 1947) was a Spanish sculptor, considered the last great master of nineteenth-century realism. Only in monumental sculpture he made more than fifty works destined to the main Spanish and Hispanic cities. He faced his works with naturalness, he had an extraordinary facility for modeling and chiseling, and a personal sense of the combination of materials, usually marble and bronze, achieving an exquisite finish of the surfaces. His work is extremely extensive and fruitful, and covers the different genres, typologies and techniques. Only in monumental sculpture he made more than fifty works destined to the main Spanish and Hispanic cities. He faced his works with naturalness, he had an extraordinary facility for modeling and chiseling, and a personal sense of the combination of materials, usually marble and bronze, achieving an exquisite finish of the surfaces. His facet as a painter, little developed professionally, is present in all his work. Through the game of chiaroscuro and a pictorial modeling he printed his works almost tactile qualities, strongly expressive. He paid equal attention to detail, which he executed with great ease and a virtuosity away from all mannerism, as to the harmonious balance of his compositions. He assumed important public positions related to the world of culture and the Fine Arts: between 1901 and 1903 he was director of the Academy of Spain in Rome, from 1917 to 1919 general director of Fine Arts and from 1917 to 1931 director of the Museum of Modern Art from Madrid. He belonged to various academies of Fine Arts: San Fernando de Madrid, San Carlos de Valencia, San Luis de Zaragoza, San Telmo de Málaga, San Lucas de Roma, Brera de Milán, Carrara and París; and received important decorations, such as the Legion of Honor of France, commander of the order of the Crown of Italy or the great cross of Alfonso X of Spain. undefined

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