Esteban Vicente was a Spanish artist who worked in sculpture, printmaking, drawing, and collage, although he was primarily a painter.   He was born in Turégano, Spain on January 20, 1903 and spent all of his childhood and early adulthood in Spain. He spent his childhood going to the Prado museum in Madrid every week and began to draw at age sixteen.  He went to military school for three months, after which he decided he wanted to be an artist. He enrolled at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes in Madrid in 1921 and finished his training in 1924.

Vicente lived in Paris for two years starting in 1928, during which time he met an American woman named Estelle Charney, whom he married in 1935.  After the Spanish civil war began, Vicente and Charney moved to New York City. While in New York, Vicente continued to make and exhibit his art. He also began working as a Vice Consul for Spain in Philadelphia, until the fall of the Spanish Republic, when he moved back to New York.  He continued to work as an artist and as a teacher and in 1988, the Esteban Vicente Museum of Contemporary Art was opened in Segovia, despite Vicente never having exhibited art in Spain during the reign of Franco. New York City Bronx School Public School 170 is also named Esteban Vicente Public School 170 in honor of Vicente.   Students at PS 170 learn about Vicente and his art, which is used to decorate the school.

-EH