Artists’ Types from a Regional Perspective

The present essay analyses artists’ representations in Chile, Argentina and Colombia in art criticism in the 1870s and 1880s. The aim is not to give an exhaustive overview but to zoom in on a particular phenomenon: the discursive production of artists’ types. These verbal depictions of artists were modeled on existing artists and represented the possibility of creating a national or American art scene. The focus lies on three artist types, imagined by three prominent voices: the ‘almost national artist’ of Pedro Lira (1845-1912), the ‘American artist’ of Santiago Vaca Guzmán (1847-1896) and the ‘artist engraver’ of Alberto Urdaneta (18451887). The artists-critics wrote these figures into being in response to the artistic challenges of distinct social, cultural, economic and political contexts. Yet, as the paper shows, their work is strongly connected through a regional perspective and a positivist belief in the civilizing role of art. The study of the figures sheds light on the discursive dynamic behind the creation of the art scenes, underscoring the importance of adopting a regional and relational perspective when examining the art discourses in South America.