Biography

Francisco Rodón is a Puerto Rican painter. Rodón studied in Mexico, France, and Spain. He was named Puerto Rico's most important 20th-century painter at the Expo 92 World's Fair in Seville, Spain, joining the 18th century's José Campeche and the 19th century's Francisco Oller. Known for his portraits of important local, regional and world figures, such as Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, Puerto Rican patriarch Luis Muñoz Marín, Cuban dancer Alicia Alonso and Perú's Mario Vargas Llosa, Marta Traba he is also known for his landscapes and still lifes. The value of his works consistently exceeds that of other living Puerto Ricans in auctions held between 1990 and 2009. For example, his Retrato de Medea sold for $93,000 at an auction in 1990. In November 2009, his most recent oil on canvas, Puedo Retornar al Crepúsculo y la Noche sold for U.S.$302,500 at Sotheby's New York, the highest price paid to that date for a Puerto Rican painting.