Cayetano Hilario Abellan

Cayetano Hilario Abellán (1916–1997) was a self-taught sculptor who produced sculptures based on different themes. His work is known because of his group of characters from the Miguel de Cervantes' well known novel Don Quixote (The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha), among others.

Cayetano was born in Argamasilla de Alba, Castile-La Mancha, Spain.

Hilario’s works are mostly shown and located at public places scattered on several towns and villages in La Mancha region. The rest of his pieces belong to private owners. Being an admirer of Auguste Rodin and Michelangelo’s sculptures, as well as a tireless reader of Cervantes’s novels, Cayetano Hilario expresses part of his artistic inspiration by materializing the main characters of Cervantes’ book into “realistic” personages in natural sizes. In order to do so, he used the people around him basically his family and native friends as models.

This sculptural group, inspired by the book of Don Quijote de La Mancha, consists of four masterpieces: Don Quijote, his squire Sancho Panza, his idealized Lady, Dulcinea del Toboso, and the writer Miguel de Cervantes himself, placed in main squares in the Author’s place of birth.

We can admire in this group of sculptures, an impressive Don Quijote, which represents the Honourable Knight when he was still Alonso Quijano. He is humanized as an inhabitant of the Village, who would later become an idealist knight who wants to fight against the injustices of the world. The sculpture shows us Alonso Quijano while he is reading one of his countless books of chivalry orders leaning on one hand and looking up, imaging his next adventures.

The figure of Sancho Panza seems to be a native of the Village, as well. Sancho is carrying some wine and cheese, which are typical products from this area.

The Aldonza Lorenzo sculpture- named Dulcinea of La Mancha (Dulzura of La Mancha) by Don Quijote. This sculpture has been modeled by the Sculptor into a realistic country young woman with a pitcher full of water in a confident attitude towards the future.

The Author completes this sculptural group with his work on the writer Miguel de Cervantes. We can admire this great masterpiece of the Spanish writer from the 16th century. The Writer is sitting and has got a thoughtful attitude. One of his hands is holding some rolled paper and we can notice his maimed left hand, which gaves the famous Writer the nickname of The one-handed man from Lepanto.

Other sculptures created by the same Artist are sculptures made in honour of some well-known Spanish writers such as Azorín (See picture) and the poet Miguel Hernández, and his pieces, made in recognition of several typical country professions, (such as The Shepherd, The Harvester or The Grape harvest) and Musicians.

- Cristina Hilario Torres.