He was born in Valencia. His father was the architect, Sebastián Monleón Estellés [es], a professor at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos.[1] After studying there from 1855 to 1866, he joined the merchant marine and became a pilot; sailing around Europe. Later, he was a student of the marine artist Paul Jean Clays in Bruges, where he also studied engraving. Upon his return to Spain, he completed his studies with Carlos de Haes.[1]
At first, he was primarily a painter of azulejos, and his experience as a sailor gave him a particular talent for marine art. He focused on shipwrecks and other dramatic scenes, but he was also knowledgeable in regards to naval archaeology and history; which he was able to take advantage of when he was named the conservator/restorer for the Museo Naval de Madrid in 1870.[1]
His most ambitious work was never published during his lifetime: the treatise on the Historia gráfica de la navegación y de las construcciones navales en todos los tiempos y en todos los países (Graphic History of Navigation and Naval Construction...). It was illustrated with over a thousand drawings, blue prints and watercolors; completed while he was at the museum, together with hundreds of texts and vignettes on every known type of ship, European and Oriental. A small excerpt was later published as La Construcción Naval española en la obra de Rafael Monleón Torres.
He participated in every National Exhibition of Fine Arts after 1864, except for 1892, owing to his involvement in the celebrations for the four-hundredth anniversary of the "Discovery of America", which included an elaborate scale model of the Santa María being made as a gift to the United States.[2] As a result, he was awarded a second-class Cross of Naval Merit and the title of Commander in the Order of Charles III.
Rafael Monleón, Construcciones navales bajo su aspecto artístico (2 vols., reprint), Lunwerg, 1989/90, Vol.1, ISBN84-7782-080-5, Vol.2, ISBN84-7782-094-5
Fernado González de Canales and Fernando de la Guardia, La Construccion Naval española en la obra de Rafael Monleón Torres, Alcañiz y Fresnos, 2007 ISBN84-96016-84-6
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rafael Monleón.
"Rafael Monleón: el Pintor del Mar y su Historia by Maria Jesús Piqueras Gomez from Ars longa: cuadernos de arte, 1991, No. 2: 49–52, digitalized @ Roderic.
ArtNet: More works by Monleón.
January 01, 1970
rafael, monleón, torres, 1843, november, 1900, spanish, artist, painting, engraving, ceramics, archaeologist, historian, naval, pilot, 1885, contents, biography, references, further, reading, external, linksbiography, edit, nbsp, british, ships, battle, havana. Rafael Monleon y Torres 1843 24 November 1900 was a Spanish artist painting engraving ceramics archaeologist historian and naval pilot Rafael Monleon 1885 Contents 1 Biography 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External linksBiography edit nbsp British Ships at the Battle of Havana He was born in Valencia His father was the architect Sebastian Monleon Estelles es a professor at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos 1 After studying there from 1855 to 1866 he joined the merchant marine and became a pilot sailing around Europe Later he was a student of the marine artist Paul Jean Clays in Bruges where he also studied engraving Upon his return to Spain he completed his studies with Carlos de Haes 1 At first he was primarily a painter of azulejos and his experience as a sailor gave him a particular talent for marine art He focused on shipwrecks and other dramatic scenes but he was also knowledgeable in regards to naval archaeology and history which he was able to take advantage of when he was named the conservator restorer for the Museo Naval de Madrid in 1870 1 His most ambitious work was never published during his lifetime the treatise on the Historia grafica de la navegacion y de las construcciones navales en todos los tiempos y en todos los paises Graphic History of Navigation and Naval Construction It was illustrated with over a thousand drawings blue prints and watercolors completed while he was at the museum together with hundreds of texts and vignettes on every known type of ship European and Oriental A small excerpt was later published as La Construccion Naval espanola en la obra de Rafael Monleon Torres He participated in every National Exhibition of Fine Arts after 1864 except for 1892 owing to his involvement in the celebrations for the four hundredth anniversary of the Discovery of America which included an elaborate scale model of the Santa Maria being made as a gift to the United States 2 As a result he was awarded a second class Cross of Naval Merit and the title of Commander in the Order of Charles III As an engraver he provided illustrations on marine topics for La Ilustracion Espanola y Americana Nuevo Mundo New World es and other periodicals He also created ceramics some of which have been preserved at the Gonzalez Marti National Museum of Ceramics and Decorative Arts As a designer he created his own office furniture He died in Madrid aged 57 nbsp The Body of Hernando de Soto being thrown into the Mississippi River References edit a b c Brief biography the Museo del Prado Brief biography MCN Biografias Further reading editRafael Monleon Construcciones navales bajo su aspecto artistico 2 vols reprint Lunwerg 1989 90 Vol 1 ISBN 84 7782 080 5 Vol 2 ISBN 84 7782 094 5 Fernado Gonzalez de Canales and Fernando de la Guardia La Construccion Naval espanola en la obra de Rafael Monleon Torres Alcaniz y Fresnos 2007 ISBN 84 96016 84 6External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rafael Monleon Rafael Monleon el Pintor del Mar y su Historia by Maria Jesus Piqueras Gomez from Ars longa cuadernos de arte 1991 No 2 49 52 digitalized Roderic ArtNet More works by Monleon Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rafael Monleon amp oldid 1177113275, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
