Camilo Mori
Encyclopedia
Camilo Mori Serrano was a painter
and a founder of the Grupo Montparnasse
.
The son of an Italian
immigrant, Camilo Mori entered the "Escuela de Bellas Artes" (School of Fine Arts) at the University of Chile in 1914 and studied under masters Juan Francisco Gonzalez, Richón Brunet and Alberto Valenzuela llanos. In 1920 he was sent by the Chilean government to further his studies in Europe. Over the next three years Mori spent time in Rome and Paris, in this last city he joined the great gathering of artists in the Montparnasse Quarter
in Paris, France. There, his encounter with Pablo Picasso
and Juan Gris
greatly influenced his ideas of painting. However it is the influence of the works of Paul Cézanne
that challenged Mori to move away from the realism that marks his earlier work and starts experimenting with a variety of styles which later formed to basis of modern art. He exihibts in the Salon d'Automne
of 1920 in Paris where his "Circo de la Feria" receives an honorable mention.
He returns to Chile and becomes one of the founding members of the Grupo Montparnasse
, key influence in the diffusion of the new European painting trends in Chile. In 1928 Camilo Mori is named director of the National Museum of Fine Arts (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes or MNBA), during his time in this post he was responsible for many initiatives aimed at promoting the art in Chile. In 1928, as an initiative to mitigate the closure of the School of Fine Arts, Mori is once again sent by the Chilean government to Europe, this time to direct the studies of a group of young painters known as the "Generation of 28" (Spanish: Generacion del 28), which culminated in twentysix of the most outstanding young Chilean artists being sent to study in Paris for five years.
Camilo Mori returns to Chile in 1933 where he takes a position as professor of drawing and color in the Universidad de Chile, post he retained for over 30 years. In 1937 he moves to the United States where he spent two years exploring some of the newest artistic trends of the time. He is place in charge of supervising the decoration, and made a mural, for the pavilion of Chile at the 1939 New York World's Fair
.
For his contribution to Chilean art, in 1950 he received the National Prize of Art
. His work was complex and multifacetic and moved through postimpressionism, expressionism, cubism and surrealism, with the common trend among them being a prominent treatment of color.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and a founder of the Grupo Montparnasse
Grupo Montparnasse
The Grupo Montparnasse was an organization of Chilean artists who had joined the gathering of great artists in the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris, France, in the early part of the 20th century...
.
The son of an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
immigrant, Camilo Mori entered the "Escuela de Bellas Artes" (School of Fine Arts) at the University of Chile in 1914 and studied under masters Juan Francisco Gonzalez, Richón Brunet and Alberto Valenzuela llanos. In 1920 he was sent by the Chilean government to further his studies in Europe. Over the next three years Mori spent time in Rome and Paris, in this last city he joined the great gathering of artists in the Montparnasse Quarter
Montparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
in Paris, France. There, his encounter with Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
and Juan Gris
Juan Gris
José Victoriano González-Pérez , better known as Juan Gris, was a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived and worked in France most of his life...
greatly influenced his ideas of painting. However it is the influence of the works of Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th...
that challenged Mori to move away from the realism that marks his earlier work and starts experimenting with a variety of styles which later formed to basis of modern art. He exihibts in the Salon d'Automne
Salon d'Automne
In 1903, the first Salon d'Automne was organized by Georges Rouault, André Derain, Henri Matisse, Angele Delasalle and Albert Marquet as a reaction to the conservative policies of the official Paris Salon...
of 1920 in Paris where his "Circo de la Feria" receives an honorable mention.
He returns to Chile and becomes one of the founding members of the Grupo Montparnasse
Grupo Montparnasse
The Grupo Montparnasse was an organization of Chilean artists who had joined the gathering of great artists in the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris, France, in the early part of the 20th century...
, key influence in the diffusion of the new European painting trends in Chile. In 1928 Camilo Mori is named director of the National Museum of Fine Arts (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes or MNBA), during his time in this post he was responsible for many initiatives aimed at promoting the art in Chile. In 1928, as an initiative to mitigate the closure of the School of Fine Arts, Mori is once again sent by the Chilean government to Europe, this time to direct the studies of a group of young painters known as the "Generation of 28" (Spanish: Generacion del 28), which culminated in twentysix of the most outstanding young Chilean artists being sent to study in Paris for five years.
Camilo Mori returns to Chile in 1933 where he takes a position as professor of drawing and color in the Universidad de Chile, post he retained for over 30 years. In 1937 he moves to the United States where he spent two years exploring some of the newest artistic trends of the time. He is place in charge of supervising the decoration, and made a mural, for the pavilion of Chile at the 1939 New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
.
For his contribution to Chilean art, in 1950 he received the National Prize of Art
National Prize of Art of Chile
The National Prize of Art of Chile, was created on November 9, 1942. It was awarded yearly since 1944 and alternated the mention among Painting or Sculpture, Music and Theatre...
. His work was complex and multifacetic and moved through postimpressionism, expressionism, cubism and surrealism, with the common trend among them being a prominent treatment of color.