PIQUER Y DUART, José

Spanish sculptor, part of a family of sculptors. His father, José Piquer, was a sculptor and director of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos in Valencia. He received his sculptural training in his father's institution, working within the current Neo-classicalGLOSSARYRelating to the culture of ancient Greece and Rome (classical Antiquity). The classical world played a profoundly important role in the Renaissance, with Italian scholars, writers, and artists seeing their own period as the rebirth (the "renaissance") of classical values after the Middle Ages. The classical world was considered the golden age for the arts, literature, philosophy, and politics. Concepts of the classical, however, changed greatly from one period to the next. Roman literature provided the starting point in the 14th century, scholars patiently finding, editing and translating a wide range of texts. In the 15th century Greek literature, philosophy and art - together with the close study of the remains of Roman buildings and sculptures-expanded the concept of the classical and ensured it remained a vital source of ideas and inspiration. style. In 1830 he moved to Madrid and entered the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. In 1832 he was named 'academico de merito', having submitted the reliefGLOSSARYA sculptural work in which all or part projects from the flat surface. There are three basic forms: low relief (bas-relief, basso rilievo), in which figures project less than half their depth from the background; medium relief (mezzo-rilievo), in which figures are seen half round; and high relief (alto rilievo), in which figures are almost detached from their background. the Daughter of Jephthah for his examination.

From 1836 he traveled to Mexico, the United States and finally to Paris. In 1841 he returned to Madrid where he was named Director of Sculpture at the Academy of San Fernando. He was commissioned for several sculptures by Isabella II. He was also commissioned to execute various sculptures to the Palacio de San Telmo in Seville. In 1855 he made the tomb of General Francisco Espoz and Mina in the cloisterGLOSSARYquadrilateral enclosure surrounded by covered walkways, the centre of activity for the inhabitants of a monastery. of the CathedralGLOSSARYThe principal church of a province or diocese, where the throne of the bishop is placed. For reasons lost to time and tradition, a cathedral always faces west - toward the setting sun. The altar is placed at the east end. The main body, or nave, of the cathedral is usually divided into one main and two side aisles. These lead up to the north and south transepts, or arms of the cross, the shape in which a cathedral is usually formed. of Pamplona.