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Monument to César Vallejo

Monument to César Vallejo is a sculpture by the Chiclayo-born artist Miguel Baca Rossi in honor of César Vallejo. It is located in Lima’s Plazuela del Teatro and was inaugurated on April 15, 1983. The work was modeled in terracotta and cast in bronze by the El Cóndor art foundry. About 2 meters high, it stands on a granite pedestal. The sculpture shows Vallejo full-length, walking with his left foot forward, his hands in his coat, his hair blown back, and a stern, withdrawn expression. The monument was originally conceived with inscriptions on its stone pedestal, including a line from Vallejo’s poem “Los nueve monstruos.”

Bronze statue of César Vallejo on a stone pedestal in a paved square.
The Monument to César Vallejo stands on a stone pedestal in a paved square.
January 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Monument to César Vallejo, a bronze sculpture of a man in a long coat on a concrete plinth in a public plaza.
The Monument to César Vallejo stands in a public plaza, with its inscribed base and nearby pedestrians visible in the background.
January 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Monument to César Vallejo showing a dark metal figure in a long coat on a concrete pedestal, with cacti and buildings behind it.
Monument to César Vallejo in Lima, shown with a dark metal figure on a concrete pedestal and city buildings in the background.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Monument to César Vallejo stands on a stone base in a lit plaza at night.
The Monument to César Vallejo illuminated at night in a plaza.
January 2024 © · CC BY 4.0
Monument to César Vallejo on a low concrete base at night, with lit storefronts behind it.
The Monument to César Vallejo stands outdoors at night in front of brightly lit storefronts.
© · Public domain

Identification

Sculpture typeFigurative sculpture / monument
SubjectCésar Vallejo

Creator

ArtistMiguel Baca Rossi
Artist originChiclayo
Earlier related work"El busto de Vallejo" (1971)
Earlier work significanceHis first portrait of Vallejo

Historical context

Date1987
PurposeIn honor of César Vallejo
Interpretive basisBaca Rossi resolved the poet’s figure according to studies he had made a decade earlier in "El busto de Vallejo" (1971)

Discovery and provenance

FoundryEl Cóndor art foundry

Materials

MaterialTerracotta model; cast and poured in bronze

Physical characteristics

HeightAbout 2 meters
Base / pedestalOriginally on a granite pedestal; currently on a rectangular concrete pedestal
Structural supportSupported on a base that simulates a stone slab

Appearance

Facial expressionProminent brow, stern and withdrawn expression
HandsHands kept inside his raincoat
DepictionCésar Vallejo shown full-body, walking, with the left foot forward
HairHair blown by the wind
PoseHunched posture
Current finishBronze painted black

Location and ownership

LocationPlazuela del Teatro, Lima
OrientationCentralized and facing the Teatro Segura
PlacementAt one side of the small square of the same name
Urban contextThe square’s area has been reduced by the asphalted lower level of Jirón Huancavelica, a route and level that did not previously exist and allowed continuous pedestrian traffic

History and restoration

Inauguration date15 April 1983
SignatureThe sculptor’s signature is inscribed on the base that simulates a stone slab
Original pedestal inscription"HAY HERMANOS, MUCHÍSIMO QUE HACER / CESAR VALLEJO / 1892-1938"
Original inscription sourceTaken from Vallejo's poem "Los nueve monstruos"
Rear base inscription"FUND. / «EL CONDOR» / LIMA"
Left-side base inscription"M. BACA ROSSI / 1987"