The first few decades of the twentieth century were a turbulent era for Columbian art. Bogota born sculptor Rómulo Rozo sat at the heart of this changing artistic climate, educated within and inspired by both European and indigenous artistic traditions.
His work’s incorporation of Pre-Columbian motifs and myth resulted in him becoming an enduring figurehead for the art of his homeland and its distinctive identity. Colonial activities in Colombia and movement of artists between Europe and Latin America fostered strong Spanish and French influences in the art scene in Columbia at the conclusion of the 19th century.
The founding of the School of Bogota at the start of the 20th century however, heralded a desire to free Colombian art from European models. Nevertheless, just a couple of decades later and under political pressure to promote Spanish heritage as a model for society and the arts, the pendulum swung back the other way, as the Circle of Fine Arts was established. This organisation favoured artists following the academic tradition seen in Madrid.
Rozo was born in Bogota in 1899 and first enrolled at the National School of Fine Arts in his home city. As was politically popular, he then followed a European training route, travelling to Spain where he studied for four years, before completing his education in Paris. Here he worked with sculptors including Paul Landowski, known for his work Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, and Antoine Bourdelle.
Surrounded by Mayan culture, Rozo incorporated these influences into various projects, most notably in Monumento a La Patria in Mérida (1956). Despite his early acclaim, he died a poor man in Yucatan in 1964. Throughout his life he used art to pursue his indigenous ancestors with a tenacity bordering on the obsessive.