MADRID, SPAIN.- Spanish art critic Mario Antolín Paz, 72, died. He was born in Zaragoza in 1930. He was also the president of the Art Critics Association of Madrid. He received the Medal of Honor of Merit of the Fine Arts. Mario Antolín was hoping to pick up the Medal of Honor which was announced on the past December 13. He had said that this medal made him very proud because it was the first time it was given to an art critic.
Mario Antolín began the Dictionary of Spanish Painters and Sculptors of the 20th Century with 2,300 entries and 15 volumes. He had a lot of experience as a journalist and art critic. He began working at the “Amanecer” newspaper of Zaragoza and the weekly “Juventud”, “Noticias” and “La Hora”. He began doing art critic at the “Imparcial”, “Ya”, “Blanco y Negro” and “Radio Continental”.
He was also the first director of the world festival of Madrid Theatre, of the first International Dance Festival, of the Alfama gallery and of the publiching house Forum Artis, vice-president of the Spanish Writers And Artists Association, the founder and curator of ArteSantander since 1992 and an academician to the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.