Le Combat, 2023

Juan Benito  

Spanish painter Juan Benito was born in Castile. He studied art in Madrid and discovered the fascinating world of bullrings and bullfighters. During the 1970s, the painter worked in Saint-Tropez and then in Montmartre. It was in this large Parisian artist district that his paintings were spotted by one of the greatest art dealers of the time, Katia Granoff. The latter exhibited Benito's works in her gallery alongside Marc Chagall . His journey then took him to the four corners of the world: he passed through Mexico, the United States, Canada, Costa Rica... Then, he returned to France and settled in Camargue, where he still lives today.

The Camargue inspires him, as it inspired a famous Spanish painter before him: Pablo Picasso . With his own artistic approach, he takes the Arlesian woman as his favorite subject. In his oil paintings , the Arlesian women appear suggested, discreet and at the same time majestic with their bright dresses. Other motifs also appear in his works: he represents herdsmen, Sevillians and Camargue landscapes.

With this delicate, figurative painting, Juan Benito was able to make a living from his art around the world, finding audiences and clients along the way. Today, he continues to paint and exhibit in the south of France.