San Pascual Bailon, José Ramiz Barquet,Malecon II, Puerto Vallarta

San Pascual Bailon, Jose Ramiz Barquet

Yes, another interesting Ramiz Barquet sculpture on the Malecón extension, called Malecón II. The Patron Saint of cooks, who knew that beforehand? Not me… ah but I didn’t take religious classes in school either :-) and I even lived some time in the Bailón Diocese…

This distinctive statue by Ramiz Barquet was installed on the Malecon extension in 2008, it’s a bronze statue representing Saint Paschal Baylon, the patron saint of cooks.

Inspiration

Saint Paschal was a Franciscan friar from 16th Century Spain. While he lived was more related to gardens than kitchens, but due to confusions with Saint Didacus of Alcalá who was related to a miracle involving a stove, but due to similar iconography, Baylon ended up being worshipped by cooks.

The plaque that accompanies the sculpture states:

Patron Saint of Cooks
Saint Paschal Bailon

He was named Pascual because he was born on Easter day (1540). He was born in Torre Hermosa, Aragon, Spain. He is also the patron of Eucharistic congresses and nocturnal adoration. From the age of 7 to 24, he was a shepherd for 17 years. Then for 28 (years) he will be a Franciscan religious brother.
Puerto Vallarta Jalisco, November 2008

Saint Paschal Baylon by Ramiz Barquet

Saint Paschal Baylon (2008) Jose Ramiz Barquet

This sculpture was placed in Vallarta to honor chefs from Puerto Vallarta and abroad that visit the city for the Gastronomic events and those that stay here and delight both tourists and locals with their creations.

Where is the sculpture?

You’ll find the sculpture located in front of Vitea a few steps from the Urchin sculpture (Eriza-Dos) on the boardwalk beside the sea.

About the artist: José Ramiz Barquet (1920-2010)

Sculptor / Artist: José Ramiz Barquet (1920-2010)

Sculptor/Artist: José Ramiz Barquet (1920-2010)

Just as a monument in Beirut, Lebanon, honors his ancestors, his sculptural works adorn the streets and boardwalk of Puerto Vallarta, and honor his adoptive city.

He simply says, “I live here, I love the place and I want to give something back”, “Art must be shared, beautiful art leads us to do beautiful things, it makes us better. Why keep it in the dark when it brings so much happiness in the light?”.

Ramiz Barquet was born in Mexico City on March 7, 1920, and from an early age, he started carving wood. Ebony and precious woods were his favorites and he always preferred the human figure as his subject, although he has some well-known animals too, pelicans and sharks. He lived for 5 years in Montreal, Canada, studying humanities and exploring nature, something that later always influenced his art.

San Pascual Bailón / Saint Paschal Baylon (10/03/2022)

Saint Paschal Baylon, Jose Ramiz Barquet

“As a child, I carved wood, then rock and then marble – a material too cold and only good for rolling out pizzas – until I discovered the superior material, bronze. Eventually, my style would not accept any other material, bronze was the right one for the slim and tall lines I prefer.”

He was always a very respected sculptor and artist in the city, not only for his work but also for his active participation in the community and in all cultural aspects of the city. He was the artist behind innumerable works and monuments in the city and can be considered as a patriarch and artistic philanthropist of Puerto Vallarta. He donated the art content of all his local public works and in some cases helped raise funds for the foundry and transportation costs of the pieces. He donated small sculptures to be auctioned and worked to raise funds and resources for local charities for scholarships, the Puerto Vallarta International Film Festival and the Los Mangos Public Library.

He also has works scattered all over Mexico, partly because he was the assistant and protégé of Augusto Bozanno. Master Bozanno was the former director of the famous Academy of Arts in Florence, Italy. He had to emigrate to Mexico City from Italy as a political refugee in the late 1930s for having protested against B. Mussolini.

Stamp with Jose Ramiz Barquet's "The Lebanese Emigrant"

Stamp with Jose Ramiz Barquet’s Lebanon sculpture

Another famous work by José Ramiz Barquet, with Lebanese roots (both parents were from Lebanon), is exactly one of a Lebanese expatriate, officially titled “The Lebanese Emigrant” (El Emigrante Libanés), commissioned by the Centro Libanés, A.C. in Mexico City. It was created to celebrate the centennial of the arrival of Lebanese immigrants (expatriates) to Mexico and was placed in the garden of the Lebanese Cultural Center in Mexico City in 1979. It is a work of 1.5 tons and 3.5 meters (12 ft) high in bronze.

The Lebanese Emigrant (2002) José Ramiz Barquet, Beirut, Lebanon

Lebanese Expatriate by José Ramiz Barquet, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon

This symbol has taken on current importance after having survived the explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, where a replica of the work is located. It has become a symbol of the Lebanese diaspora, its tribulations, and its efforts to prosper and maintain its culture. There are replicas of that statue on the Paseo Reforma in Mexico City, in the port of Veracruz, Mexico; in Chihuahua, Puebla, Mérida, Coatzacoalcos, Guadalajara, Saltillo, San Luis Potosí, Brisbane, and Melbourne in Australia and more recently on both Canada’s coasts, on the Pacific in Victoria, BC, and on the Atlantic side in Halifax, Nova Scotia. More about the sculpture: http://www.emigrantelibanes.com/

He participated in many groups and solo exhibitions in Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta. He also held exhibitions in US cities such as Houston and Los Angeles.

San Pascual Bailón by Ramiz Barquet Malecon II

San Pascual Bailón, Puerto Vallarta Malecon

His most famous work, “Nostalgia”, has been on the Malecón promenade since 1984 and is one of the main visual symbols of Puerto Vallarta. It appears in various magazines, newspapers, and travel books. The very romantic story of how he was inspired by his relationship with his wife Nelly has captured the imagination of couples of all ages, serving as a symbol of universal love, as well as a tribute to the special romantic qualities of Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta’s most famous and beloved sculptor and artist passed away on July 4, 2010.

Other sculptures by José Ramiz Barquet in Puerto Vallarta

Nostalgia (1984)
One of the most famous sculptures in Puerto Vallarta, also the second one installed on the Open-air Gallery that is now the Malecón in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Depicts two lovers enjoying their company and looking out to sea and the future.
More information

The Fisherman (1996)
Located at the intersection of three streets: Libertad, Agustín Ramírez and Insurgentes). It represents a character from Puerto Vallarta’s pre-tourism past, a fisherman (according to the artist named “Isidro”) who walks the streets of the town selling his daily catch, a vital profession for the people of the early 20th Century.
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Spiral Shark (1996)
A piece in honor of the shark, which the artist named “Gaspar” by his friend Gaspar Elizondo. The history of Puerto Vallarta is traditionally linked to fishing sharks too. It is also a creature rejected by man, but created with infinite wisdom that has survived millions of years, with a valuable place in the universe in honor of the perfection and efficiency of its being. Located in a small square ending Púlpito street with Los Muertos Beach, between the La Palapa and El Dorado restaurants.
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The Minstrel’s Corner (1999)
It represents, as the name implies, a minstrel playing the flute. It is located at the intersection of Hidalgo and Galeana in downtown Puerto Vallarta.
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A Boy, A Book, A Future (2000)
At the entrance to the public library “Los Mangos” in Francisco Villa street. It symbolizes the importance of education and access to books as a gateway to a better future for the individual and for the whole of society.
Nothing emphasizes better why a public library is valuable and vital.
More information

Nostalgia Ramiz Barquet, Malecon, Puerto Vallarta

Nostalgia, José Ramiz Barquet

Author: M. A. Gallardo

Last Updated on 19/08/2022 by Puerto Vallarta Net