My name is Arturo Vonn Hartung. I’ve been called Arturo by many of my Spanish-speaking friends, as I was born Arthur, and because Vonn, when pronounced in Puerto Rican Spanish, sounds like the Spanglish word for ‘bum’ or worse, borrachón.
I first came to the Island of Enchantment in 1961 (less than a year out of High School) by myself, not knowing anybody here, with $300 and about 10 words in Spanish, 5 of which I found out later were wrong.
Upon arrival and disembarking, I experienced my first case of Puerto Rican Goosebumps (piel de gallina)! The very turbulent 6-hour flight had left New York Airport in a screaming snow blizzard. Please excuse my Catholic unorthodoxy —it was a born-again experience for me.
Within two weeks of being here, living on Saltine crackers and peanut butter, I went to see the Bishop of San Juan and offered my services to paint holy images, showing him my portfolio, which resembled the work of Salvador Dalí more than that of Fra Angelico or Tintoretto.
He patiently and kindly explained the traditional art of Santos to me and sent me to the Dominicans in Cataño.
I rode in a multicolored school bus, which I caught at Plaza Colón, and quickly made the acquaintance of fellow riders, some of whom carried roosters under their arm! Upon showing them the note Bishop Davis had given me, they directed me to the plaza and the designated church.
A long line of people was waiting ahead of me. It was around mid-morning, and the sun was very hot. When my turn finally came, many bells began to ring as I stated my intentions to the white robed priest, that I was there to paint the ceiling of his church; I had decided on the way over on the bus that that would be my best bet to begin my mission, since I had no experience in carving Santos. I told him that I only required “a place to sleep and meals to eat”.
I learned years later that he was probably Dutch, so perhaps it was his limited English that led him to take me for a vagrant, possibly—he rose abruptly and exited, his white cape billowing behind him.
I was pretty disappointed, but I went back to my rented one-room apartment in Ocean Park and decided, as a form of solace, to try to see if I might fit in at a university. My first meeting was with Felix Bonilla Norat, the Director of the Painting Department at the School of Fine Arts, University of Puerto Rico, in Rio Piedras. Looking through my portfolio, he suggested that I register at the school. I reminded him that I did not speak Spanish.
He pointed to my portfolio and exclaimed, “You speak the language fluently! The language is Art!” I received my second thrill of Puerto Rican piel de gallina !
He helped me to find a boarding house for students, and suddenly I had 15 brothers and 15 sisters. The rest is history! I registered as a visiting student. I learned more outside of class than I did in it, but I was included, and my life changed.
A short time later, I went to see Professor Bonilla again, but this time to tell him that instead of going to class, I would rather go into the hills and paint the countryside and the people. With a mischievous smile, he exclaimed, “So would I,” and gave me permission to go and paint and to bring my work from time to time for him to see.
Much else is left to be said. But for now, I will say that after many travels, trials, works of art (some sacred), and tribulations, I met Patty. We fell in love. I told her of my prayer and Calling and asked her to marry me, to live, and to work with me in Puerto Rico, where I felt Christ wanted me to beautify churches with His Truth. She said YES! And so in 1984, we returned to my beloved Borinquen for our honeymoon and have been here ever since.
After some years of struggle here, settling in, we were able to dedicate our lives entirely to Catholic Sacred Art.
“Vivimos para esa Noche“ Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodríguez Santiago Oil portrait, Parroquia San Francisco Javier
Most of the work I have been blessed to do has come from just a handful of priests. Around 1999, Padre Julio Victor Garcia commissioned me to paint a portrait of Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodriguez for his church (Parroquia San Francisco Javier).
It was shortly thereafter that I was stunned and humbled to receive a telephone call from Rome at the direction of Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves, requesting that I paint the official portrait to be presented as a gift from Puerto Rico to the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican.
“Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodríguez Santiago” Oil portrait- at Pontifical North American College, Vatican
I accepted this great honor, and so the painting was presented on the day of the beatification of Blessed Charlie (April 29, 2001), by Archbishop Roberto, to the Rector of the college, where it hangs in the Hall of Saints.
I hope you will feel as blessed in experiencing the Sacred Art you are about to see as I have been blessed in doing it.
It is a prayer come true and a prayer I continue to pray, to be able to bring Sacred Beauty through the message of the Gospels to our people. Amen.
**************************************
Español
Me llamo Arturo Vonn Hartung. Muchos de mis amigos hispanohablantes me llaman Arturo porque nací Arthur y porque “Vonn” en español puertorriqueño suena como la palabra spanglish para vago o, peor aún, borrachón.
Llegué por primera vez a la Isla del Encanto en 1961 (menos de un año después de terminar la escuela secundaria) solo, sin conocer a nadie aquí, con $300 y alrededor de 10 palabras en español, 5 de las cuales descubrí más tarde que estaban equivocadas.
Al llegar y desembarcar experimenté mi primer caso de piel de gallina puertorriqueña. El muy turbulento vuelo de seis horas había salido del aeropuerto de Nueva York en medio de una estruendosa ventisca de nieve. Disculpen mi heterodoxia católica. ¡Para mí fue una experiencia de nuevo nacimiento!
A las dos semanas de estar aquí, viviendo de galletas saladas y mantequilla de maní, fui a ver al Obispo de San Juan y le ofrecí mis servicios para pintar imágenes santas, mostrándole mi portafolio, que se parecía más a la obra de Salvador Dalí que a la de Fra Angelico o Tintoretto.
Él me explicó con paciencia y amabilidad el arte tradicional de los Santos y me envió con los dominicos en Cataño.
Viajé en un autobús escolar multicolor que tomé en la Plaza Colón y enseguida conocí a otros pasajeros, ¡algunos de los cuales llevaban gallos bajo el brazo! Al mostrarles la nota que me había dado el obispo Davis, me dirigieron a la plaza y a la iglesia designada.
Delante de mí había una larga fila de personas esperando. Era media mañana y el sol calentaba mucho. Cuando por fin llegó mi turno, empezaron a sonar muchas campanas mientras le declaraba mis intenciones al sacerdote de túnica blanca: que estaba allí para pintar el techo de su iglesia. De camino en autobús, había decidido que esa sería mi mejor opción para comenzar mi misión, ya que no tenía experiencia tallando santos. Le dije que solo necesitaba “un lugar para dormir y comida”.
Años después me enteré de que probablemente era holandés, así que quizá se debía a su limitado inglés, y es posible que me haya tomado por un vagabundo, pues se levantó bruscamente y salió, con su capa blanca ondeando.
Me sentí bastante decepcionado, pero volví a mi habitación alquilada en Ocean Park y, para consolarme, decidí intentar ver si encajaba en una universidad. Mi primer encuentro fue con el Director del Departamento de Pintura, Félix Bonilla Norat de la Escuela de Bellas Artes de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Río Piedras. Mirando mi portafolio me dijo que debía inscribirme en la escuela. Le recordé que no hablaba español.
Señaló mi portafolio y exclamó: “¡Hablas el idioma con fluidez! ¡El idioma es arte!”. ¡Recibí mi segunda emoción de piel de gallina puertorriqueña!
Él me ayudó a encontrar una residencia para estudiantes y de repente tenía 15 hermanos y 15 hermanas. ¡Lo demás es historia! Me inscribí como estudiante visitante. Aprendí más fuera de clase que dentro, pero fui INCLUIDA y mi vida cambió.
Poco tiempo después fui a ver nuevamente al profesor Bonilla, pero esta vez para decirle que en lugar de ir a clases prefería ir a la sierra y pintar el campo y la gente. Con una sonrisa pícara, exclamó: «Yo también» y me dio permiso para ir a pintar y llevarle mis trabajos de vez en cuando para que los viera.
Queda mucho por decir. Pero por ahora solo diré que después de muchos viajes, pruebas, obras de arte (algunas sagradas) y tribulaciones, conocí a Patty. Nos enamoramos. Le conté sobre mi oración y mi llamado, y le pedí que se casara conmigo y viviera y trabajara conmigo en Puerto Rico, donde sentía que Cristo quería que embelleciera las iglesias con su verdad. ¡Dijo que sí! Y así en 1984 regresamos a mi amado Borinquen para nuestra luna de miel y hemos estado aquí desde entonces.
Después de algunos años de lucha para instalarnos, pudimos dedicar nuestras vidas por completo al arte sacro católico.
La mayor parte del trabajo que he tenido la bendición de realizar proviene de tan solo unos pocos sacerdotes. Hacia 1999, el Padre Julio Víctor García me encargó pintar un retrato del Beato Carlos Manuel Rodríguez para su iglesia (Parroquia San Francisco Javier).
“Vivimos para esa Noche” Beato Carlos Manuel Rodríguez Santiago, retrato al óleo, Parroquia San Francisco Javier
Fue poco tiempo después que me sentí atónito y honrado al recibir una llamada telefónica desde Roma por orden del Arzobispo Roberto González Nieves solicitando que pintara el retrato oficial que sería presentado como regalo de Puerto Rico al Pontificio Colegio Norteamericano en el Vaticano.
El Beato Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Santiago, retrato al óleo, Pontificio Colegio Norteamericano, Vaticano
Acepté este gran honor y así el cuadro fue entregado el día de la beatificación del Beato Charlie (29 de abril de 2001) por el Arzobispo Roberto al Rector del colegio, donde cuelga en el Salón de los Santos.
Espero que se sientan tan bendecidos al experimentar el Arte Sagrado que están a punto de ver como yo lo he sido al hacerlo.
Es una oración hecha realidad, y una oración que sigo rezando, para poder llevar la Belleza Sagrada a través del mensaje de los Evangelios a nuestra gente. Amén.
4 Responses
Arthur, evidently your life and work has been a continuous series of Providential love affairs towards you! I and Sonia are so grateful to God, to the Virgin Mary and to the Blessed Charly to have had the opportunity to meet you and Patty. I myself never thought to be coming to PR the same year Blessed Charly was beatified, and then to stay here for 13 years till, once retired, to get married to a portorican woman in order to continue living here probably up to the time of my reunion with our Merciful Creator. I invoke over all of us the divine blessings!
Adriano. Gracias for your kind words and Blessing. Meeting You and Sonia has been one of the Wonderful Blessings that has come to Patricia and I living here in Puerto Rico. The gifts you have given to P.R. ,your beautiful Italian Language, Sacred Music and Culture enriches us all. The Great Gift of being with you and Sonia at your Wedding , meeting Sonia’s Mother and Family and being your friends has greatly enriched our lives. We look forward to the future sharing with you God’s many Blessings.
Dearest Arturo, I just came across your business card in a box of PR business and tax papers!! So happy to find a way to communicate with you! Your beautiful large picture of Nuestra Madre Dolorosa in wood which you gave me on leaving PR is faithfully in front of me for nearly 21 years, always so alive, so sorrowful, so deeply moving. Your work is beauty and truth, as you have desired and sought for. Congratulations! Thank you for the beauty of your soul. My love to Patty, my fond memories of your home. With affection, Margaret PS You may love the book Consecration to St Joseph by Fr Donald Calloway, MIC–full of beauty. Has its own website.
Margaret! What an immense joy to hear from you after all these years! Thank you for your kind remarks and insights. This is Patty responding on Arturo’s behalf, as he is completely immersed in carving a life-size statue of Saint Dymphna, a 7th century Irish martyr/saint. He is thrilled to hear from you and would like to share a link to his Facebook page so you can keep in touch–https://www.facebook.com/vonn.hartung/
There you will see many of his paintings and wood carvings.
Thank you for contacting us! Where are you living now? Our email address is vhartung@msn.com
God bless and watch over you!
Un fuerte abrazo con mucho cariño…
Patty and Arturo
Arthur, evidently your life and work has been a continuous series of Providential love affairs towards you! I and Sonia are so grateful to God, to the Virgin Mary and to the Blessed Charly to have had the opportunity to meet you and Patty. I myself never thought to be coming to PR the same year Blessed Charly was beatified, and then to stay here for 13 years till, once retired, to get married to a portorican woman in order to continue living here probably up to the time of my reunion with our Merciful Creator. I invoke over all of us the divine blessings!
Adriano. Gracias for your kind words and Blessing. Meeting You and Sonia has been one of the Wonderful Blessings that has come to Patricia and I living here in Puerto Rico. The gifts you have given to P.R. ,your beautiful Italian Language, Sacred Music and Culture enriches us all. The Great Gift of being with you and Sonia at your Wedding , meeting Sonia’s Mother and Family and being your friends has greatly enriched our lives. We look forward to the future sharing with you God’s many Blessings.
Dearest Arturo, I just came across your business card in a box of PR business and tax papers!! So happy to find a way to communicate with you! Your beautiful large picture of Nuestra Madre Dolorosa in wood which you gave me on leaving PR is faithfully in front of me for nearly 21 years, always so alive, so sorrowful, so deeply moving. Your work is beauty and truth, as you have desired and sought for. Congratulations! Thank you for the beauty of your soul. My love to Patty, my fond memories of your home. With affection, Margaret PS You may love the book Consecration to St Joseph by Fr Donald Calloway, MIC–full of beauty. Has its own website.
Margaret! What an immense joy to hear from you after all these years! Thank you for your kind remarks and insights. This is Patty responding on Arturo’s behalf, as he is completely immersed in carving a life-size statue of Saint Dymphna, a 7th century Irish martyr/saint. He is thrilled to hear from you and would like to share a link to his Facebook page so you can keep in touch–https://www.facebook.com/vonn.hartung/
There you will see many of his paintings and wood carvings.
Thank you for contacting us! Where are you living now? Our email address is vhartung@msn.com
God bless and watch over you!
Un fuerte abrazo con mucho cariño…
Patty and Arturo