First Chilean Painter Collective

If you are interested in Chilean art history, you may have heard of the Generación del 13, or the 13 Generation, a group of painters who emerged in the early 20th century and challenged the conventions of their time. In this blog post, I will tell you more about who they were, what they did, and why they are important for Chilean culture.

Who Were They?
The Generación del 13 was Chile’s first painter collective. Its name derives from the year 1913, after a joint exhibition was held at the Salon of the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio in the preceding year. The group consisted of about 20 young artists, most of them from humble backgrounds, who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts under the guidance of Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor, a Spanish painter who reformed the institution and encouraged his students to express their personality and originality.

Some of the most prominent members of the group were:
– Alberto Lobos: Considered the leader of the group, he was influenced by impressionism and expressionism and painted landscapes, portraits, and scenes of rural life. He also experimented with cubism and abstraction later in his career.
– Camilo Mori: He was one of the founders of the Montparnasse Group, another influential Chilean artistic movement. He painted urban scenes, still lives, and nudes with vibrant colours and dynamic compositions. He also became a director of the Academy of Fine Arts and a cultural promoter.
– Alfredo Lobos: He was the brother of Alberto Lobos and a disciple of Sotomayor. He painted realistic and naturalistic scenes of peasants, workers, and indigenous people with a social and humanistic perspective. He also explored surrealism and symbolism in his later works.
– Enrique Lobos: He was another brother of Alberto Lobos and a student of Sotomayor. He painted landscapes, portraits, and religious themes with a lyrical and poetic style. He also experimented with abstraction and collage.
– Julio Ortiz de Zárate: He was a friend of Alberto Lobos and Camilo Mori and a member of the Montparnasse Group. He painted landscapes, portraits, and still lives with a modernist and impressionist approach. He also became a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and a cultural critic.
– Dora Puelma: She was one of the few female members of the group and also a student of Sotomayor. She painted landscapes, portraits, and flowers with a naturalistic and delicate style. She also wrote books about her travels in Europe.

What Did They Do?
The Generación del 13 was characterized by a fascination with Creole art and customs, social criticism, and portrayal of the proletariat, a subject that hitherto was not depicted in Chilean art. ¹ They also experimented with different styles and techniques, such as impressionism, expressionism, cubism, surrealism, and abstraction.
They exhibited their works in various venues, such as El Mercurio Salon, the Official Salons of Santiago, the Women’s Art Exhibition of the Women’s Artistic Society, and the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929–30. They also travelled abroad to learn from other artistic movements and cultures.
They influenced many other Chilean artists who came after them, such as the Montparnasse Group, the 28 Generation, and the Social Realist Group.

Why Are They Important?
The Generación del 13 was important for Chilean culture because they represented a new generation of artists who broke away from the academicism and conservatism that dominated Chilean art at the time. They introduced new themes, styles, and expressions that reflected their social reality and their personal vision.
They also contributed to the development of Chilean national identity by celebrating their Creole heritage and portraying their diverse society.
They are considered pioneers of modern art in Chile and Latin America.
The Generación del 13 was a remarkable group of painters who left a lasting legacy in Chilean art history. They were innovative, rebellious, and original. They were the first Chilean painter collective.

References

– Generación del 13 – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generaci%C3%B3n_del_13

– Dora Puelma – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dora_Puelma

– Category:Generación del 13 – Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Generaci%C3%B3n_del_13

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