BENITO QUINQUELA MARTIN

Benito Quinquela Martín


1890-1977

He was born on March 1, 1890 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was abandoned by his parents and lived his first six years of life in an orphanage until he was adopted.

At the age of 14 began to work at the coal-yard of his stepfather while he was attending a modest night academy of drawing in the neighborhood of La Boca. After dropping put of elementary school, he enrolled in painting school where he learned to do portraits and practiced by drawing the people of the neighborhood. He then decided that he was going to devote to painting port topics.


He began with his art exhibitions in 1918 and in 1920 he obtained the Second Prize of the 'Salón Nacional" (National Lounge)..

He was chosen to decorate the Pedro de Mendoza's museum-school in the neighborhood of La Boca, and took jobs for the Department of Public Works with whom he painted the Buenos Aires suburban railroad's mural. During his career he had exhibitions in Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Paris, New York and The Havana.
His paintings of port scenes reflect a strong expression of activity, vigor and roughness as a display of life in the area of la Boca. He also painted numerous murals and ceramics of big dimensions in official public buildings and in private institutions. In 1938 he inaugurated the Museo de Bellas de La Boca in the same building where lived and had his workshop.

Among his most notorious works are: : Tormenta en el Astillero (Museum of Luxemburg, Paris), Puente de la Boca (Saint James Palace, London) and Crepúsculo en el astillero (Museo de Bellas Artes Pedro de Mendoza, Buenos Aires).
Quinquela Martín became a philanthropist, donating a series of works to the neighborhood of La Boca and to the city of Buenos Aires.
Benito Quinquela Martín, was the port painter-par-excellence and the most popular Argentine painter. His works of art are displayed in the best art museums of Europe and America and he has been one of the founders of paintings about the city of Buenos Aires.He died in Buenos Aires on January 28, 1977.