Pedro Restrepo
Encyclopedia
Pedro Pablo Restrepo-Peláez is a Colombia
n
artist, civil servant, art historian and writer.
, born February 2, 1918. He left home at an early age and went to Chile where he graduated from secondary school, and later attended the Universidad de Santiago de Chile. He traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to further his education. His Art studies began while in Santiago. Eventually he traveled to Brazil where he studied art at the Escola de Belas Artes, in Rio de Janeiro.
Restrepo-Peláez accepted an offer to represent his country as Vice-Consul in Paris, France. After three years, he traveled to Florence, Italy to become a pupil of Giovanni Colacicchi at the Accademia di Belle Arti during an extended period. After a decade of travel throughout Europe he went to live in Mexico City and Los Angeles, California.
He studied restoration and conservation at Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, in Madrid, Spain, interning later at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
He has written extensively on Art as well as on political and historical subjects. His column appeared regularly in El Tiempo, Colombia's principal news publication.
Restrepo-Pelaez was knighted, Orden the Caballero de la Reina Isabel, in Spain.
. The restoration was sponsored by Citibank. He also restored the series of colonial paintings in Sopó, Los Angeles de Sopó (the Angels of Sopó).
For several years he has explored the possibilities of working exclusively in black and white in search of technical effects usually obtained through the use of color. He is a "minimalist" as it relates to economy of color and subject matter as well as in his use of primitive materials, such as burlap, plywood, and casein paint. He has focused on nudes and still lives, save for the period when he was "artistic" Mayor the colonial town of Villa de Leyva, Colombia, when he did contemporary representations of the town's colonial architecture.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n
artist, civil servant, art historian and writer.
Education
A native of Andes Antioquia), ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, born February 2, 1918. He left home at an early age and went to Chile where he graduated from secondary school, and later attended the Universidad de Santiago de Chile. He traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to further his education. His Art studies began while in Santiago. Eventually he traveled to Brazil where he studied art at the Escola de Belas Artes, in Rio de Janeiro.
Restrepo-Peláez accepted an offer to represent his country as Vice-Consul in Paris, France. After three years, he traveled to Florence, Italy to become a pupil of Giovanni Colacicchi at the Accademia di Belle Arti during an extended period. After a decade of travel throughout Europe he went to live in Mexico City and Los Angeles, California.
He studied restoration and conservation at Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, in Madrid, Spain, interning later at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
He has written extensively on Art as well as on political and historical subjects. His column appeared regularly in El Tiempo, Colombia's principal news publication.
Government posts
Restrepo-Peláez has held several government posts:- Private Secretary of the Governor of Antioquia (Colombia)
- Vice Consul of Colombia in Paris
- "Artistic" Mayor of Villa de LeyvaVilla de LeyvaVilla de Leyva is a colonial town and municipality, in the Boyacá department of Colombia, part of the subregion of the Ricaurte Province. The town is located some 40 km west of Tunja and has a population of about 9,600 people...
(Boyacá, Colombia) - Mayor of the colonial area of the City of BogotáBogotáBogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
- La CandelariaLa CandelariaLa Candelaria is a historic neighborhood in downtown Bogotá, Colombia. It is the equivalent to the Old City in other cities. The architecture of the old houses, churches and buildings has Spanish Colonial and Baroque styles... - Director of "Extension Cultural" (cultural director) of the City of Bogotá
- Professor of Art History of the Escuela Nacional de Arte Dramática (the national school of theater) in Bogotá, Colombia.
- Professor of Art History in the Colegio Odontológico (School of Dentistry) of Bogotá, Colombia.
- Professor of Art History at the Universidad Nacional (National University), Bogotá, Colombia
- Director of the Museo Arqueologico de la Casa del Marques San Jorge (Banco Popular) during twelve years.
Restrepo-Pelaez was knighted, Orden the Caballero de la Reina Isabel, in Spain.
Conservation
Restrepo-Peláez has played an important role in the conservation of colonial architecture and monuments in Colombia. He personally restored the murals in the Casa de Juan de Castellanos in Tunja, BoyacáTunja
Tunja is a city and municipality located in the central part of Colombia, in the region of "Alto Chicomocha". As of the 2005 Census it had 152,419 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Department of Boyacá and part of the subregion of the Central Boyacá Province. It is approximately 145 km...
. The restoration was sponsored by Citibank. He also restored the series of colonial paintings in Sopó, Los Angeles de Sopó (the Angels of Sopó).
Other work
He has exhibited individually in Rio de Janeiro (Galeria Carioca), Mexico City, Paris (Maison De l'Amérique Latine), London, Madrid (Galeria de Arte Moderno), Washington, DC (Pan American Union), Fort Lauderdale Florida USA, Bogotá (Biblioteca Nacional, Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango), Houston (Colombe D'Or, The Houstonian, Cherqui Gallery), Telluride Colorado (Elinoff Galery), Jakarta, Indonesia (at the Colombian Consulate).For several years he has explored the possibilities of working exclusively in black and white in search of technical effects usually obtained through the use of color. He is a "minimalist" as it relates to economy of color and subject matter as well as in his use of primitive materials, such as burlap, plywood, and casein paint. He has focused on nudes and still lives, save for the period when he was "artistic" Mayor the colonial town of Villa de Leyva, Colombia, when he did contemporary representations of the town's colonial architecture.