Trained in the wake of classic artists in the era of the most avant-garde art movements, Venancio Blanco is in his own right a prominent figure in the art world. Defined within the scope of naturalism for some scholars of his work, member of the group akin to neofigurativism 'Los Seis Escultores' (60 years) for others and a liberal genius who is impossible to be bound to one particular artistic tendency for the majority of those who study –enticed and enraptured by– his work, the artist from Salamanca creates art based on the need to "discover beauty and convey it", as stated by the artist himself on a number of occasions.
Among his favourite themes, religion, bullfighting and flamenco sustain a creative world that has also flirted with other sources of inspiration, such as music or sport. Blanco contemplates life and personal experiences as a series of workshops from which hundreds of works, now dispersed throughout our country and further afield, have been broken into a never-ending journey. Like all great artists, he believes that excellent technical training in drawing and modelling is essential. And testament to this are his own perfect and inspiring compositions –figurative or schematic–, his impressive view of vacuums, which the observer may interpret as the heart and soul of the pieces. In short, well conceived and meticulous ideas, loaded with feeling that are masterfully translated to a material like bronze.
2015. La música en la escultura de Venancio Blanco [Music in Venancio Blanco's Sculptures]. Exhibition hall and gardens of Santo Domingo de la Cruz. City Council of Salamanca and Mapfre Foundation. Salamanca.
Venancio Blanco. Desayunando con el dibujo [Having breakfast with drawing]. V Centenary of Saint Teresa of Jesus. Travelling.
2014. Tiempo de Navidad [Christmas Time]. La Salina Palace, Salamanca.
2013. El espíritu de Castilla y León en la obra de Venancio Blanco [The spirit of Castile-Leon in the work of Venancio Blanco]. Parliament building for the Government of Castile-Leon, Valladolid.
2012. Venancio Blanco. La mirada del sentimiento [The look of feeling]. Museo Tiflológico. ONCE Foundation. Madrid.
2011. Venancio Blanco. Dibujar con la materia [Drawing with material]. City Council of Burgos. Instituto castellano y leonés de la lengua [Institute of Language of Castile-Leon]. Burgos
2010. Venancio Blanco. Dibujar con la materia [Drawing with material]. Salamanca Provincial Government. Salamanca
2008. Venancio Blanco. Formas para el espíritu [Shapes for the spirit]. Artetrece Gallery. Madrid
2005. Venancio Blanco. Retrospectiva [Retrospective]. Almudí Palace. Murcia. Hacerse preguntas dibujar respuestas [Asking questions and drawing answers] Venancio Blanco. Las Edades del Hombre Foundation. San Bernardino Monastery. Valladolid.
2002. Museum of Religious Art, Venancio Blanco. Capilla Monte del Pilar, Inaugural exhibition. Madrid.
2001. El Dibujo [Drawing]. Venancio Blanco, Provincial Government of Salamanca, La Salina Exhibition Hall, Salamanca.
Venancio Blanco. Sculpture. Eduardo Capa Foundation. Santa Barbara Castle, Alicante.
Artesantander. Sala de Honor [Hall of Honour]. Santander.
Venancio Blanco. Temas taurinos [Bullfighting themes]. Almudí Palace. Murcia.
2000. La figura de Cristo como fuente de inspiración iconográfica [The figure of Christ as a source of iconographic inspiration]. II Sacred Art Course, Félix Granda Foundation, Exhibition Hall of CEU San Pablo University, Madrid.
1996. Esculturas y dibujos [Sculptures and drawings]. Acuartelamiento General Arroquia [General Arroquia Barracks], Salamanca.
1995. El flamenco y los toros [Flamenco and bulls]. Palau de la Música y Congresos [Palace of Music and Conferences], Valencia.
1994. Museo Pérez Comendador Leroux, Hervás.
Aula de Cultura de la Caja de Extremadura [Culture Hall of Caja de Extremadura], Plasencia.
Exhibition Hall, Department of Culture, Badajoz.
Exhibition Hall, Department of Culture, Trujillo.
1993. Social-Cultural Work. Caja Salamanca and Soria, Valladolid, Palencia, Zamora y Ávila.
1992. Retrospective. La Salina Palace, Escuelas Menores Patio of the University and Palace of Garci-Grande, Salamanca.
Antológica [Anthological]. Exhibition Hall of Mapfre Vida Cultural Foundation, Madrid.
1989. National Competition of Flamenco Art. Salas Capitulares, Cordoba.
1986. Mapfre Vida Exhibition Hall. Madrid.
1984. Royal Spanish College, Bologna.
Spanish Academy of Fine Arts in Rome.
1983. Royal Palace of Caserta, Naples.
1981. Retrospective. Rodríguez Acosta Foundation, Granada.
Casa de los Tiros, Granada.
National Sculpture Museum of Valladolid.
1980. Retrospective. Sala Luzán, Zaragoza.
Retrospective. Velázquez Palace, Retiro Park, Madrid.
1974. Santa Catalina Exhibition Hall in the Ateneo de Madrid.
1964. Galerie Nouvelles Images, The Hague
1963. Forum Gallery, New York.1959. Ateneo de Madrid.
2014. Collective exhibition. San Francisco. Diocesan Seminary of San Cayetano, Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca.
2011. Passio. Las Edades del Hombre Foundation. Medina de Rioseco and Medina del Campo.
Venancio Blanco, José Carralero and Agustín Redondela. Grandes Maestros de las Bellas Artes [Great Maestros of the Fine Arts]. Centro Cultural Nicolás Salmeron, Madrid
2009. Castile-Leon Awards. XXV Anniversary. Praça do Comercio. Lisbon.
Paisaje interior [interior landscape] Las Edades del Hombre Foundation. Soria.
2008. El circo en el arte español [The circus in Spanish art]. Esteban Vicente Museum of Contemporary Art. Segovia.
2006. 2 Dimensiones 2. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando [San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts]. Madrid
2005. Castile-Leon Awards. XX Anniversary. Prado Monastery. Valladolid.
2000. Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Santa Isabel of Hungary. XLIX Autumn Exhibition. Medalla de Honor [Medal of Honour], Seville.
1997. Collections and Sculptors of the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Acuartelamiento General Arroquía [General Arroquia Barracks].
Sala de Exposiciones Venancio Blanco, Salamanca
Manolete y su época [Manolete and his era]. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando [San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts], Madrid. Pamplona, Murcia, Seville, Cordoba.
1995. LVI National Visual Arts Exhibition. Featured artist, Valdepeñas.
Figuraciones españolas del siglo XX en la Colección Central Hispano[20th Century Spanish Figurative Art in the Central Hispano Collection], Madrid.
1994. Ante el Primer encuentro de escultura ibérica actual [The first encounter of current Iberian sculpture]. Provincial Museum of Lugo.
1993. Las Edades del Hombre, Cathedral of Salamanca.1992. Contemporary Painters and Sculptors. Castile-Leon Pavilion. Expo 92, Seville.
Bienal Internacional El Deporte en el Arte [ International Biennial of Sport in Art].
1991. Bullfighting paintings and sculptures, Alcalá de Guadaira.
Small-scale pieces by famous artists, Galería Artis, Salamanca.
Spanish avant-garde in Cordoba, Cordoba.
1990. Los años 60 [The 1960s]. Exhibition Centre of the Community of Madrid.
1989. Painters and Sculptors of the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts. V Anniversary Exhibition. Galería Alfama, Madrid.
1979. Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid.
1977. VI Bienal Internacional El Deporte en las Bellas Artes [VI International Biennial of Sport in Fine Arts]
IV Bienal Internacional de Arte de Marbella [IV International Biennial of Art in Marbella].
1974. IV Exhibition El Metal en el Arte [Metal in Art], Valencia.
1973. III Exhibition El Metal en el Arte [Metal in Art], Valencia
II Biennial of Small Sculpture, Budapest.
1972. II Exhibition El Metal en el Arte [Metal in Art], Valencia.
I Concurso Exposición Nacional de Pequeña Escultura [I National Small Sculpture Competition], Valladolid.
Exposición Nacional de Escultura Contemporánea [National Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture], Cloister of the Cathedral of Girona.
1971. La Caza [The Hunt]. International Exhibition. Museum of Fine Arts of Budapest.
I Exhibition El Metal en el Arte [Metal in Art], Valencia.
1970. II Exposición Internacional del Pequeño Bronce [II International Exhibition of Small Bronze Sculpture]. Escultores Europeos [European Sculptors], Madrid.
1969. I Salón de Escultura Contemporánea [I Contemporary Sculpture Hall], Barcelona.
X Biennial Middelheim, Amberes.
Cuatro Españoles en Oslo [Four Spaniards in Oslo], Kunstnerforbundet, Norway.
De Vargas, Venancio. Biblioteca Nacional [National Library], Madrid.
1967. I International Biennial of Sport in Fine Arts. Barcelona.
1966. V International Biennial of Sacred Art. Salzburg
Seis Escultores [Six Sculptors]. Galerie Nouvelles Images, The Hague.
1965. Spanish Pavilion at the New York World's Fair.
Art in Europe, Brussels.
1964. Spanish Academy of Fine Arts, Rome.
IV International Biennial of Sacred Art, Salzburg.
Seis Escultores [Six Sculptors]. General Directorate of Fine Arts, Madrid.
First International Competition Sport in Fine Arts.
1963. V Alexandria Biennale. Círculo de Bellas Artes of Madrid, Retrospective Exhibition Primeras Medallas [Gold Medals].
1962. National Exhibition of Fine Arts.
1961. I Exposición Internacional del Pequeño Bronce [I International Exhibition of Small Bronze Sculpture]. Musée Rodin, Paris.
1960. National Exhibition of Fine Arts. Chicago International Fair.
IV Concurso Exposición de Pintura y Escultura Religiosa [IV Religious Painting and Sculpture Exhibition Competition], Rodríguez Acosta Foundation, Granada.
1959. Concurso Nacional de Bellas Artes [National Competition of Fine Arts].
1957. Escultura al Aire Libre [Open-air Sculpture]. Casa de América, Madrid.
1959. National Sculpture Award.
1962. Gold Medal for Sculpture in the National Exhibition of Fine Arts.
Grand Prize for Sculpture in the V Alexandria Biennale, Egypt.
Gold Medal for Sculpture in the IV Salzburg Biennial of Sacred Art.
Gold Medal in the X Art in Europe Exhibition, Brussels.
First Prize in the International Exhibition La Caza [The Hunt] National Museum of Fine Arts of Budapest.
2001. Castile-Leon Art Award.
1977. Full member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando [San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts].
1981. Director of the Spanish Academy of Fine Arts in Rome.
He is a member of the following Academies: Pontificia e Insigne Academia Artística dei Virtuosi al Panteón de Roma, Saint Isabel of Hungary Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Seville, Royal Academy of Science, Fine Arts and Noble Arts of Cordoba, and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of the Purísima Concepción of Valladolid.
Vatican Museum
Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando en Madrid [Museum of San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts].
Reina Sofia Musuem in Madrid.
The Salamanca Museum of Fine Arts
Museum of Contemporary Art, Seville.
Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
National Museum of Art, Architecture and Desig, Oslo
Museo Taurino [Bullfighting Museum]of Cordoba, Headquarters of the Edades del Hombre, Valladolid.
Almudena Cathedral, Madrid.
Consejo Superior de Deportes [Sports Council]
Museo de Escultura Religiosa [Museum of Religious Sculpture] Venancio Blanco of the Mapfre Foundation in El Plantío, Madrid
Parliament building for the Government of Castile-Leon, Valladolid.
Catholic University of Murcia
Museum of the Camilo José Cela Foundation in Padrón, Pontevedra
Museo de Escultura al Aire Libre [Open-air Sculpture Museum]in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid
Museo de Escultura al Aire Libre [Open-air Sculpture Museum]in Leganés, Madrid
There are also sculptures and public monuments in Salamanca, Madrid, Seville, San Sebastian, Valdepeñas (Ciudad Real), Ponferrada (León), Navalcarnero (Madrid), Alba de Tormes (Salamanca).
Works by Venancio Blanco
