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| Miguel Melero |
He registered at the San Alejandro School in 1850, beginning his studies under the direction of the French artist Lecrerc, and was later a disciple of Mialhe and Hércules Morelli. After Morelli’s death, Augusto Ferrán ―an outstanding sculptor, artist and great draftsman, with whom Melero had studied sculpture―, became the principal of San Alejandro; he continued his studies on colors with Francisco Cisneros, helping his teacher in his studio as an especial concession, doing some of his works. He participated in the Juegos Florales organized by the Liceo de La Habana in 1866 becoming a prizewinner, with the first prize for an oil painting and a second prize for a sculpture. He also got a Golden Medal in another competition for a lithographic work. The following year he was appointed facultative partner of the School and gets his artistic studies in Europe subsidized. He traveled to Spain, Italy and France, residing in Paris, where he took lessons from the masters Cabanel and Gerome as well as from the renowned sculptors Capeau and Falguiere.
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| Miguel Melero Retrato de Isabel II |
When the first war for Independence broke out in 1868, he returned to Cuba. In 1878, when the principalship of the San Alejandro School felt vacant, he stood for the job and got unanimous approval of the jury for this position, which he held until his death. He tried to accomplish several plans on historical matters, the outlines of which he made, but nothing further. The colonial government’s indifference towards these matters turned Miguel Melero, almost exclusively, into an artist devoted to painting portraits, including the portraits of Captain Generals that were taken out of Cuba when Spain withdrew from the island. With Miguel Melero, began a new period in the history of the plastic arts in Cuba. He had many initiatives in this field, among them, establishing the living model class and allowing women to study in the School.
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| Miguel Melero El Juicio Final |
His artistic production was huge. Uncounted his numerous portraits, he also reflected in his paintings other matters like still life, history, mythological and religious matters. One of his most significant works is the large-sized painting above the main altar of the chapel at the Cementerio de Colón, with the subject “El Juicio Final (Last Judgment)”. He carried out also several sculptures, among which outstand: a statue of Christopher Columbus, a statue of José Antonio Cortina in the Cementerio de Colón, one of Saint Thomas inside the chapel of the same cemetery, the busts of Zorrilla and Echegaray in the Teatro de la Caridad in Santa Clara city, and a bust of hiss son, Miguel Angel Melero.
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| Miguel Melero Rodriguez El Marinero |
He received many awards along his career. Among them, he was elected a member of the Cuban Commissions for the exhibitions held Paris in 1878; in Amsterdam in 1880 and in Matanzas in 1881. He was awarded the distinction of Socio de Mérito of the Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País in 1885, and in 1883, the Metropolitan Government awarded him the Cruz de Caballero de la Orden de Isabel la Católica, in recognition of his services teaching the fine arts.
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| Miguel Melero Rodriguez Velero Sobre Aguas Vivas |
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