Cristóbal Rojas (artist)

Cristóbal Rojas
Self portrait by Rojas, (1887).
Born	Cristóbal Rojas Poleo (1857-12-15)December 15, 1857 Cúa,  Venezuela
Died	November 8, 1890(1890-11-08) (aged 32) Caracas, Venezuela
Nationality	Venezuelan
Known for	Painting

Cristóbal Rojas (December 15, 1857 in Cúa, Miranda – November 8, 1890 in Caracas) was one of the most important and high-profile Venezuelan painters of the 19th century. Rojas's styles varied considerably throughout his life, and he displayed talents in painting that ranged primarily for dramatic effect, to works done in the impressionist style.

Cristóbal Rojas Poleo was born in the city of Cúa in the Valles del Tuy to parents who worked in the medical profession. Part of his childhood occurred during the middle of the federal war (1859–1863) and Cúa was particularly affected by the events of the war. He initiated studies under his grandfather, José Luis Rojas, who taught him how to draw and motivated him to improve. At 13 years old, his father died and he was forced to begin work in a tobacco factory in Cúa to help support his family. In 1878, an earthquake devastated the Valles del Tuy region, and the Rojas faced poverty. As a result, he moved to Caracas where he continued his painting studies, despite again having to work in the tobacco industry to support his mother and family.

In Caracas he attended classes by José Manuel Maucó at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Between 1880 and 1882, he developed a keen interest in oils and displayed a primitive technique that would prevail in his later paintings such as Ruinas de Cúa después del Terremoto and Ruinas del templo de la Merced. During this time he became acquainted with the painter Antonio Herrera Toro, also coming under contract as Toro's assistant to paint Caracas Cathedral.

In 1883, Rojas exhibited his La muerte de Girardot en Bárbula (The death of Girardot in Bárbula) in the Salón del Centenario to commemorate the birth of Simon Bolivar and won a silver medal in second place along with the painter Arturo Michelena. This award would grant him a scholarship by government amounting to 50 pesos each month, to study in Europe. In early 1884 he had moved to study in Paris where he established a friendship with Emilio Boggio. In the period between 1883 and 1890 Rojas would experiment slowly with different pictorial tendencies and techniques ranging from post-romanticism to impressionism.