Meet the son of a down-to-earth painter and decorator, and the sibling to the famous sculptor Mariano Benlliure. His artistic journey began early, attending the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in Valencia and working under the wing of Francisco Domingo Marqués in a private studio.
Back in 1872, he tried his luck with a travel grant from the Valencia provincial council but got a rejection. Lucky for him, though, he snagged some funds that let him jet off to Paris, where he rubbed shoulders with the influential art dealer, Goupil. When he returned to Valencia, he threw himself into creating paintings for the National Exhibitions.
The spotlight found him in 1876 when he nabbed a third-place medal for "Rest on the March," and he did it again in 1878 with "Golgotha" or "Calvary Scene."
Fast forward to 1879, and our guy is off to Rome, staying put until 1896. In 1880, he said "I do" to María Ortiz Fullana, and the lovebirds set up their nest in Rome, welcoming four kiddos into the mix.
Things got even more exciting in 1882 when he inked a deal with the English dealer Martin Colnaghi. From there, he teamed up with other big shots like Arthur Tooth and Wallis and Son from England, Adolphe Goupil from France, and a bunch of Germans—Rudolf Baugel, J.P. Schneider, Wedells, and Mayer, not to forget the firms Hermes and Co., Honrath, and Van Baerle.
These dealer buddies became his art ambassadors, spreading his works far and wide, influencing his style to groove with the likes of Mariano Fortuny and Francisco Domingo Marqués. Sure, he dabbled in smaller genre paintings for the market, but don't be fooled—Benlliure also flexed his artistic muscles with larger-than-life masterpieces strutting their stuff at the National Exhibitions.
So, there you have it—an artistic adventure that took him from local fame to international acclaim, all while keeping it real and painting the town in every color imaginable.
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