Manuel Benedito Vives

Manuel Benedito Vives (25 December 1875 – 20 June 1963) was a Spanish painter. He was born in Valencia on Christmas 1875. His father was a taxidermist, and his brother was a musician. Between 1911 and 1913, he worked as a drawing teacher at the Higher School of Fine Arts in Madrid. Later, he became professor of color and composition at this institution and eventually served as director until 1945.

In 1897 he won a Third Medal at the National Exhibition for his painting The Washing after Work. Later, he continued his training thanks to a scholarship that allowed him to spend four years at the Spanish Academy in Rome, where he shared classes with artists Eduardo Chicharro and Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor. After this period of training, Benedito developed an active artistic career in different parts of Europe. In 1905 he settled in Brittany, France, where he created works inspired by the fishing life in Concarneau. Later, he worked in towns in Salamanca, Spain, producing paintings with everyday life and traditional themes. He also traveled to the Netherlands and lived in Paris for a few years, where he painted Cleo de Merode.

Manuel Benedito was granted many awards and honors, including medals from national and international exhibitions, as well as important official decorations. He also took part in cultural institutions, becoming a member of several boards and a full member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. During his career, he painted portraits of many people, including members of the aristocracy, artists, and politicians. His subjects included noblewomen, actresses, singers, as well as political and military figures. His work as a portrait painter of the royal family was especially important, particularly his portraits of King Alfonso XIII, whom he painted multiple times. In later years, he continued painting important figures, including the head of state Francisco Franco. He was a member of the boards of the Prado Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Sorolla Foundation. He also belonged to the Association of Writers and Artists, was a corresponding member of the Hispanic Society of America, and a full member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, where he eventually became vice-dean. In 1944, he was honored with the Grand Cross of the Order of Alfonso X the Wise, and this honor was increased with the same rank in the Order of Isabella the Catholic, awarded to him in 1958. The city of Valencia gave him its Gold Medal and named a street after him while he was alive.