Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt (23 October 1919 – 14 May 1995^[1]) was a Colombian sculptor. At the time of his death in 1995 he was recognized as one of the most important sculptors in Colombia and Latin America.^[1] Most of the major cities in Colombia have statues sculpted by Arenas Betancourt.^{[citation needed]}

Arenas Betancourt died on 14 May 1995 in the municipality of Caldas, located in the southern end of the Valley of Aburrá and part of the Medellín Metropolitan Area.^[1]

His bronze statues are characterized by their enormous proportions and dramatic expression.^[1]

Examples of his artwork are:

• Naked Bolívar in Pereira
• Monumento a la Raza, bronze and concrete, 38 m height, located in La Alpujarra Administrative Center in Medellín
• Sculptural Complex Vargas Swamp Lancers near Paipa is the largest sculpture in Colombia.
• Monument to Effort in Armenia
• Monument to the Marching Revolution in Valledupar
• Monument to the founders in Bogotá (installed 1965)^[2]
• Statue of Simón Bolívar in Bogotá (installed 1963)^[2]

Additionally to sculpture, Arenas Betancourt worked in printmaking and book illustration.^[3]

Gallery

• 
  Vargas Swamp Lancers, bronze, steel and concrete, 33 m height, Paipa, Boyacá
• 
  Monumento a la Raza in Medellín
• 
  Monument to Effort, bronze, steel and concrete, 28 m height, Armenia, Colombia
• 
  Man, creator of Energy, bronze, steel and concrete, 18 m height, located in University of Antioquia
• 
  Bolivar Condor bronze and concrete, located in the main square of Manizales
• 
  Liberty Christ, located in Barranquilla
• 
  The Flute Player, concrete and plaster. University of Antioquia
• 
  Naked Bolivar, Pereira
• 
  Monument to José Eustasio Rivera, Neiva
• 
  Los Potros, a tribute to José Eustasio Rivera, in Neiva
• 
  La oración al proscrito in Bogotá
• 
  Monument to life in Medellín
• 
  Prometheus Bound, bronze
• 
  La Gaitana Monument in Neiva
• 
  Monument to the Founders in Villavicencio

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