Art of Francisco Narváez in the University City of Caracas
Art in Venezuela / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Art of Francisco Narváez in the University City of Caracas?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Francisco Narváez was commissioned to create pieces for the University City of Caracas campus in 1949, initially working between 1950 and 1953, with other pieces (to a total of twelve) added later.[lower-alpha 1] The artworks include stone and metal statues, busts, reliefs, and various material of murals. Three of the statues are made of Cumarebo stone: El Atleta, a large statue in the sports complex, and La educación and La ciencia in the medical complex. The Cumarebo stone is a favourite material of Narváez. Two sculptures of the esteemed doctor José Gregorio Hernández and President José María Vargas grace the campus grounds.
Three of the murals are also in the medical complex, and were the first artworks to be installed on the campus; their imagery combines science and religion. Eleven of the works are considered part of the campus living museum; the other, a wooden bust called Torso, was created in 1956 and is currently displayed in the dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning (FAU)'s office.[lower-alpha 1] Narváez works in various materials, with an artistic style based in his own Venezuelan identity as well as influenced by European modes and classical sculptures from antiquity, from his background in Paris. The artist had worked with campus architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva on several occasions before, creating public art that reflected contemporary social issues. The collaborations of the two show developments in modernist art in the country.
As part of a World Heritage Site, several conservation efforts have taken place, with a group dedicated to preserving Narváez' campus artwork; the latest plans for restoration, in 1999 and 2000, were not undertaken due to a lack of funds.[2]