Víctor Manuel Rendón Pérez (Guayaquil, December 5, 1859 – Guayaquil, October 9, 1940) was an Ecuadorian writer, poet, novelist, playwright, biographer, translator, doctor, diplomat, pianist, and composer. He wrote the novel Lorenzo Cilda in 1906 in French, later translating it into Spanish; in 1921, he was accepted into the Ecuadorian Academy of Language, and in 1925, the Académie Française awarded him a Gold Medal for the work. Rendón translated numerous works, including Olmedo, homme d’état et poète américain, chantre de Bolívar (1905), a French-language work combining a biography of José Joaquín de Olmedo with Rendón’s translations of Olmedo’s poetry. Fluent in four languages, Rendón published over forty books in Spanish and French, with works released in France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Ecuador.
Early Life and Education
Víctor Manuel Rendón was born on December 5, 1859, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Manuel Eusebio Rendón Treviño and Delfina Pérez Antepara. His father, a prominent public figure, and his mother, an accomplished painter, relocated the family to France around 1871, when Víctor was about twelve years old. In France, he attended the Institut Sainte-Marie and completed his baccalauréat at the Sorbonne in 1878.
Following his undergraduate studies, Rendón entered the University of Paris to study medicine. In 1888, he completed his doctoral thesis, Fièvres de surmenage (“Fevers of Overwork”), a pioneering work examining the impact of prolonged mental and physical strain. The thesis was published the same year, earning positive reception and sparking interest in Ecuador, where its core findings were later reviewed and discussed in academic circles.
Returning to Guayaquil in 1889, Rendón practiced medicine for approximately two years, often providing free consultations to those in need. His practice earned him a respected reputation in his community, and he treated notable patients, including Baltazara Calderón de Rocafuerte and future Peruvian president Augusto B. Leguía. His career as a physician was relatively short, as he soon turned his attention to diplomacy and literature, two fields where he ultimately made a lasting impact.
Diplomatic Career
Rendón’s career in diplomacy spanned nearly three decades, during which he held prominent positions. In 1895, Ecuadorian President Eloy Alfaro appointed him Consul General in Paris. Rendón later served as Minister Plenipotentiary to France and Spain from 1903 to 1914. He represented Ecuador at the Second International Peace Conference at The Hague in 1907 and was appointed as a member of the International Permanent Court of Arbitration. In 1914, he oversaw the construction of a monument in Barcelona honoring Ecuador’s October 9 independence movement heroes, his name engraved on its pedestal as a mark of his dedication.
In addition to his political and diplomatic responsibilities, Rendón played a significant role in shaping international opinions on Latin American issues. His diplomatic achievements earned him high honors, including the French Legion of Honor, and solidified his reputation as one of Ecuador’s foremost diplomats.
Literary Contributions
Rendón was a prolific writer, publishing over forty works in both French and Spanish. His writing ranged across genres, including poetry, drama, biography, and fiction. One of his notable works, Lorenzo Cilda (1906), a novel first written in French and later translated by Rendón into Spanish, depicted Ecuadorian culture and landscapes and contained autobiographical elements. The novel earned him a Gold Medal from the Académie Française in 1925 and entry into the Ecuadorian Academy of Language in 1921.
Some of his other works include Héros des Andes (1904), a collection of poems in French; Salus Populi (1928), a historical drama addressing the execution of Dr. Santiago Viola in Guayaquil; and Encantamientos Patrios (1929), a poetry compilation. His theatrical works were often performed in Ecuador and abroad, with El Ausentismo (1923) being particularly notable for its satirical portrayal of a Guayaquileño cacao farmer’s life in Paris.
Rendón also translated several works, most notably the poetry of José Joaquín de Olmedo, a celebrated Ecuadorian poet. His biography Olmedo, homme d’état et poète américain, chantre de Bolívar provided French audiences with a detailed portrait of Olmedo’s contributions to Ecuadorian and Latin American identity.
Personal Life and Family
Víctor Manuel Rendón was born into a notable Ecuadorian family. His father, Manuel Eusebio Rendón Treviño, was a prominent public figure and landowner who owned the Hacienda de San Pablo in Balzar, Ecuador. Associated with Ecuador’s Liberal Party, he was even considered as a potential candidate for the presidency in 1888. Víctor’s mother, Delfina Pérez Antepara, was a talented painter whose work was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. Víctor was the eldest child, but an epidemic in Guayaquil claimed the lives of several of his younger siblings, a tragedy that influenced the family’s decision to relocate to France around 1871, when Víctor was about 12 years old. This move allowed him to pursue a European education, which profoundly influenced his intellectual and cultural development. His mother and his maternal aunt, Carmen Pérez de Rodríguez Coello—a poet and playwright—introduced him to literature from a young age, fostering his early passion for reading and the arts.
In 1891, Víctor married María Seminario Marticorena, with whom he had five children. Their son Miguel became a writer and settled in France, while their son Manuel Rendón Seminario became a renowned painter, credited with introducing the Constructivist Movement to Ecuador and Latin America. Known for his abstract and modern works, Manuel exhibited widely and had a lasting influence on Latin American art. He married Paulette Everard Kiefer, who later authored Galápagos: The Last Enchanted Islands (1947), publishing it under the name Paulette E. de Rendón. Víctor’s other children included Teresa, Margarita, and Isabel; Isabel dedicated her life to charitable work as a nun.
Although Rendón’s career required frequent travel, especially to Europe, he maintained a strong connection to his Ecuadorian heritage, which often inspired his literary work. He declined offers to run for the Ecuadorian presidency on two occasions, choosing to focus on his literary and diplomatic pursuits rather than political office.
Legacy and Recognitions
Rendón was recognized for both his literary and diplomatic achievements. In 1935, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature by the Ecuadorian Academy of Language. He received a Gold Medal from the Académie Française in 1925 for his novel Lorenzo Cilda, highlighting his literary contributions in France. Additionally, he was named a corresponding member of the Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy), acknowledging his impact on Spanish-language literature. His accolades also included the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit from Ecuador and, in his later years, the Medalla de la Lengua Francesa from France.
Rendón’s legacy endures through his multifaceted contributions to Ecuador’s cultural and political life. The municipality of Guayaquil commemorated him posthumously by naming a street in his honor, recognizing him as an outstanding citizen. His work remains an important reflection of early 20th-century Ecuadorian intellectual life, bridging European and Latin American cultural dialogues.
Affiliations and Honors (Partial List)
Throughout his career, Víctor Manuel Rendón was honored with memberships and affiliations in numerous prestigious institutions across Latin America and Europe. His affiliations include:
- Member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language (Academia Ecuatoriana de la Lengua)
- Corresponding Member of the Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española)
- Honorary Member of the Institute of Lisbon (Instituto de Lisboa)
- Corresponding Member of the Institute of Coimbra (Instituto de Coimbra)
- Academician of Merit at the Hispanic-American Academy of Sciences and Arts of Cádiz (Academia Hispano-Americana de Ciencias y Artes de Cádiz)
- Former Honorary Vice President of the Ibero-American Union (Unión Iberoamericana)
- Corresponding Member of the National Academy of History in Caracas (Academia Nacional de la Historia en Caracas)
- Honorary Corresponding Member of the Royal Geographical Society of Madrid (Real Sociedad Geográfica de Madrid)
- Corresponding Member of the Geographical Society of Lisbon (Sociedad Geográfica de Lisboa)
- Associate of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Madrid (Academia de Ciencias Pedagógicas de Madrid)
- Honorary Member and Collaborator of the Juridical-Literary Society of Quito (Sociedad Jurídico-Literaria de Quito)
- Active Member of the France-America Committee (Comité «France-Amérique»), Paris
- Full Member of the International Diplomatic Academy in Paris (Académie Diplomatique Internationale de Paris)
- Adherent to the Society of Men of Letters of France (Société des Gens de Lettres de France)
Timeline of Víctor Manuel Rendón Pérez (1859–1940)
- 1859, December 5: Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Manuel Eusebio Rendón Treviño, a writer and businessman, and Delfina Pérez Antepara, an artist.
- Circa 1871: Moves with his family to France, where he begins his European education.
- 1872–1878: Attends the Institut Sainte-Marie in Paris and later earns his baccalauréat at the Sorbonne in 1878.
- 1880: Enters the University of Paris to study medicine, focusing on physiology and mental health.
- 1882: Publishes Notes de mon carnet, a collection of personal observations and essays.
- 1888: Completes his medical degree with a thesis titled Fièvres de surmenage (“Fevers of Overwork”), a pioneering study on mental and physical exhaustion; the thesis is published and garners attention in Ecuador.
- 1889: Returns to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and practices medicine for about two years, providing free consultations to many in need.
- 1891: Marries María Seminario Marticorena, with whom he eventually has five children: Miguel, Manuel, Teresa, Margarita, and Isabel.
- 1892: Appointed as Secretary of the Legation of Nicaragua in Paris.
- 1895: Appointed Consul General of Ecuador in Paris by Ecuadorian President Eloy Alfaro, marking the start of his significant diplomatic career.
- 1896: Publishes Documentos para la historia del Ecuador, a collection of historical documents about Ecuador.
- 1900: Serves as Ecuador’s Commissioner for the Paris Exposition Universelle, representing Ecuador’s pavilion and receiving the French Legion of Honor for his role.
- 1901: Writes his novel Lorenzo Cilda in French, inspired by his experiences in Ecuador and France, exploring themes of cultural identity and personal belonging.
- 1903–1914: Serves as Minister Plenipotentiary of Ecuador to France and Spain, participating in various diplomatic missions and international conferences.
- 1904: Publishes Héros des Andes, a collection of poems celebrating Ecuadorian heroes and patriotic ideals.
- 1905: Publishes Flammes et Cendres, a book of French poems, and Olmedo, homme d’état et poète américain, chantre de Bolívar, which combines a biography of the Ecuadorian poet José Joaquín de Olmedo with Rendón’s French translations of Olmedo’s poetry.
- 1907: Represents Ecuador as the First Delegate at the Second International Peace Conference in The Hague.
- 1908: Elected as a member of the International Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, serving until 1913.
- 1914: Oversees construction of the “Columna de los Próceres del 9 de Octubre” monument in Barcelona to honor Ecuadorian independence heroes; his name is inscribed on its pedestal. Publishes La frontière de la République de l’Équateur, discussing Ecuador’s national boundaries.
- 1915: Declines a new appointment as Consul General in Paris, choosing to focus on literary pursuits.
- 1916: Publishes a biography of his mentor Clemente Ballén and Ecos de amor y guerra, a collection of poems on love and war.
- 1917: Publishes Le Revenant, a collection of French poems, and La Columna a los Próceres del 9 de Octubre, a poetic tribute to Ecuadorian independence heroes.
- 1921: Joins the Ecuadorian Academy of Language, a prestigious recognition of his literary achievements.
- 1923: Writes and presents El Ausentismo, a play that explores the life of a Guayaquileño cacao farmer who moves to Paris, reflecting the experiences of Ecuadorians abroad.
- 1925: Awarded a Gold Medal by the Académie Française for Lorenzo Cilda, which he translates into Spanish. Celebrates his 75th birthday in Guayaquil with widespread recognition.
- 1927–1931: Publishes Obras Dramáticas, a five-volume collection of his dramatic works.
- 1928: Releases Salus Populi, a historical play based on the 1907 execution of Dr. Santiago Viola, recognized as one of his most powerful dramas.
- 1929: Publishes Encantamientos Patrios, a collection of patriotic poems.
- 1930–1934: Returns permanently to Ecuador after decades in France, continuing to write and publish, including Cuentos del Delfín de las Peñas (1934), a collection of Ecuadorian stories.
- 1935: Nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature by Celiano Monge, Secretary of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language; receives the Medalla de la Lengua Francesa from the French government.
- 1937: Publishes Himnos, Votos y Homenajes, a collection of patriotic hymns and poems.
- 1939: Compiles Resumen Biográfico, an autobiography listing his achievements, honors, and major works.
- 1940, October 9: Passes away in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on the anniversary of Ecuadorian independence, as he had predicted to a family member. He is buried in the family plot in Guayaquil’s Cementerio General.
Poems
EL MUERTO
O ISLA DE SANTA CLARA, A LA ENTRADA
DEL GOLFO DE GUAYAQUIL
Sobre las olas miro, impresionado
desde el bajel que pasa algo distante,
la isla que el cadáver de un gigante
demeja, por la bruma amortajado.
Parece su fanal poco elevado,
un cirio de luz tenue, vacilante,
que pide una oración al navegante
por que descanse el alma del finado.
El mar, con su monótono quejido,
arrulla—eterno réquiem—al difunto
tendido cerca del famoso puerto,
y piendo que un indígena ha caído,
defendiendo a la patria, en ese punto
donde, petrificado, yace EL MUERTO.
From Encantamientos Patrios (1929)
LAS PEÑAS
Amenísimo oasis de LAS PEÑAS,
emergiendo del Guayas ¡cuál floreces
y hasta la cima del Santa Ana creces
y en dar más brillo a Guayaquil te empeñas!
Escucho en tu aura voces halagüeñas
cuando al pie de tus palmas vengo a veces
para que evoque mi alma que enterneces
las horas de la infancia ¡cuán risueñas!
Quisiera hallar, en mis postreros años,
la sombra que me dieron tus jardines
y, en el solar paterno, apenas miro
cuál se solazan párvulos extraños
dó me embriagaban rosas y jazmines,
de tu seno alejándome, suspiro.
From Encantamientos Patrios (1929)
AMOR SENIL
Alegre el corazón, el alma ufana,
de la musa francesa fiel amante,
en su laud, cual trovador errante,
canté mi hermosa tierra ecuatoriana.
Aunque en lengua extranjera, no fué vana
ni estéril mi canción, ni discordante.
¿Qué importa el plectro con que el bardo cante,
si el patrio amor de sus arpegios mana?
Hoy de otra diosa imploro los favores,
ya que el reproche me hacen mis hermanos
de preferir ajeno idioma al mío;
y aunque seniles son estos amores,
la hispana lira pulsarán mis manos
con la ilusión que acaricié en mi estío.
From Telefonemas (1908)
EL SUELO NATAL
Allende el mar, de Francia, ¡cuán distante!
hay un país que amamos, vida mía,
donde á mis hijos ver nacer quería,
al que cantar me oirás, mientras yo cante.
Hablamos de él los dos á cada instante
con gratitud, cariño y alegría,
y sueñas tú con admirar un día,
del Ecuador, el suelo exuberante.
A la sombra de palmas y laureles,
Guayaquil nos hará tierno agasajo;
nuestra vejez allí tendrá reposo;
Y, a su culto, mi patria, al vernos fieles,
de nuestros hijos premiará el trabajo,
dando, a cada hija nuestra, un buen esposo.
From Telefonemas (1908)
Selected Works
Poetry
- Héros des Andes (1904)
- Héroes des Andes, poemas en francés (1904)
- Flammes et Cendres (1905)
- Telefonemas (1908), read it for free here.
- Telepatías (1908), read it for free here.
- La Columna de los Próceres del 9 de Octubre (1916), read it for free here.
- Le Revenant (1917)
- Ecos de Amor y Guerra (1929), read it for free here.
- Encantamientos patrios (1929), read it for free here.
Drama / Plays
- Hoy, ayer y mañana (1928), read it for free here.
- Salus populi (1928)
- Las tres Victorias (1930)
- Obras Dramáticas (five volumes, 1927–1931)
- El Ausentismo (1937)
- Periquin o la noche sabrosa (1937)
- Madrinas de guerra (1937), read it for free here.
- Con Victoria y Gloria Paz (1937), read it for free here.
- El Matrimonio Eugenico (1937), read it for free here.
- Cuadro heroico (1937)
- Charito (1937)
- Almas hermosas (1937)
- El billete de loteria (1937)
- La caretilla (1937)
- En fuente florida (1937)
Novels
- Lorenzo Cilda (1906), read it for free here.
Short Stories / Prose Collections
- Notes de mon carnet (1882)
- Cuentos del Delfín de las Peñas (1934)
- El milagro de San Antonio (1936), read it for free here.
Essays and Historical Works
- Documentos para la historia del Ecuador (1896)
- Las frontière de la Republique de l’Équateur (1914)
- La columna a los próceres del 9 de octubre (1917)
Biographies
- Olmedo, homme d’état et poète américain, chantre de Bolívar (1905)
- Clemente Ballén (1916)
- Biografía de Clemente Ballén (1916)
References
- Wikipedia. Víctor Manuel Rendón. Retrieved on October 28, 2024. Click to view.
- Goodreads. Terror ecuatoriano Vol. I: Siglo XIX y Leyendas. Retrieved on October 28, 2024. Click to view.
- Rodolfoperezpimentel.com. Rendón Pérez, Víctor Manuel. Retrieved on October 28, 2024. Click to view.
- MCN Biografías. Rendón Pérez, Víctor Manuel (1859-1940). Retrieved on October 28, 2024. Click to view.
- Enciclopedia del Ecuador. Rendón Dr. Víctor Manuel. Retrieved on October 28, 2024. Click to view.
- Expreso. Víctor Manuel Rendón y el Bicentenario. Retrieved on October 28, 2024. Click to view.
- Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana. Encantamientos patrios – Víctor Manuel Rendón. Retrieved on November 2, 2024. Click to view.
- Wikipedia. Manuel Rendón Seminario. Retrieved on November 2, 2024. Click to view.
- Rodolfo Pérez Pimentel. Rendón Treviño, Manuel Eusebio. Retrieved on November 2, 2024. Click to view.
This post was updated on November 2, 2024.