Pío Collivadino
Encyclopedia
Pío Collivadino was an Argentine painter of the post-impressionist school.
, in 1869. He studied drawing at the Italian Argentine
cultural society, the Societá Nazionale de Buenos Aires, and in 1889, he traveled to Rome
, where in 1891 he was accepted into the Accademia di San Luca
, the National Academy of Fine Arts. There, he was mentored by Cesare Mariani
, and collaborated in decorative frescoes in the Constitutional Court of Italy
.
He returned to Argentina in 1896 and became known for his romanticist
lithographs. Colllivadino attended three international festivals in Venice
, from 1903 to 1907, where his La hora del reposo (Workday Break, 1903), also known as La hora del almuerzo (Lunch break time) earned a gold medal. He was also at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition
, in St. Louis, where he earned a silver and a gold medal.
These successes encouraged him to transition to Post-impressionism, a genre which had not yet found favor among Argentine art patrons, and he joined the Nexus Group in 1907. The group, led by painters Fernando Fader
and Martín Malharro
, and sculptor Rogelio Yrurtia
, braved initial ostracism and helped popularize the genre locally. Honored with the Order of the Crown of Italy
in 1905, Collivadino became an honorary member of the Accademia di Brera, in Milan
.
Collivadino remained sought-after in Argentina, and served in numerous art juries. He was named Director of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1908, and was prominent in Buenos Aires' Centennial International Exposition
, in 1910. Subsequent years saw the creation of Collivadino's best-known works, including Usinas (Power Plants, 1914). Collivadino was named director of scenography
at the renowned Colón Theatre and remained head of the Academy of Fine Arts and taught there until his retirement in 1935.
He helped organize the Prilidiano Pueyrredón School of Fine Arts in 1939, and the Ernesto de la Cárcova
Museum, in 1941. Collivadino served as the director of the Pueyrredón School until 1944, when he was forced to retire by the new military regime of General Pedro Pablo Ramírez
(a dictatorship whose cultural policy was hostile to European influences, in favor of what it described as "criollo
virtues").
A 1946 young graduate of the Prilidiano Pueyrredón School of Fine Arts and one of Collivadino's last students, famed painter, cartoonist, journalist and author Geno Díaz (Eugenio Díaz del Bo), described those circumstances in his 1984 autobiography, stating that:
The noted painter and teacher died in Buenos Aires, in 1945, at age 76.
Life and work
Pío Collivadino was born in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, in 1869. He studied drawing at the Italian Argentine
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
cultural society, the Societá Nazionale de Buenos Aires, and in 1889, he traveled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where in 1891 he was accepted into the Accademia di San Luca
Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca, was founded in 1577 as an association of artists in Rome, under the directorship of Federico Zuccari, with the purpose of elevating the work of "artists", which included painters, sculptors and architects, above that of mere craftsmen. Other founders included Girolamo...
, the National Academy of Fine Arts. There, he was mentored by Cesare Mariani
Cesare Mariani
Cesare Mariani was an Italian painter and architect of the late-19th century, active in Rome and Ascoli Piceno. He continued the inveterate tradition of Italian religious frescoes with work at the cathedral of Sant'Emidio in Ascoli Piceno, the church of Madonna delle Grazie in the city of Teramo...
, and collaborated in decorative frescoes in the Constitutional Court of Italy
Constitutional Court of Italy
The Constitutional Court of Italy is a supreme court of Italy, the other being the Court of Cassation. Sometimes the name Consulta is used as a metonym for it, because its sessions are held in Palazzo della Consulta in Rome....
.
He returned to Argentina in 1896 and became known for his romanticist
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
lithographs. Colllivadino attended three international festivals in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, from 1903 to 1907, where his La hora del reposo (Workday Break, 1903), also known as La hora del almuerzo (Lunch break time) earned a gold medal. He was also at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
, in St. Louis, where he earned a silver and a gold medal.
These successes encouraged him to transition to Post-impressionism, a genre which had not yet found favor among Argentine art patrons, and he joined the Nexus Group in 1907. The group, led by painters Fernando Fader
Fernando Fader
Fernando Fader was a French-born Argentine painter of the Post-impressionist school.-Life and work:Fernando Fader was born in Bordeaux, France in 1882. His father, of Prussian descent, relocated the family to Argentina in 1884, settling in the western city of Mendoza before returning to France a...
and Martín Malharro
Martín Malharro
Martín Malharro was an Argentine painter of the Post-impressionist school.-Life and work: Martín Malharro was born in the central Buenos Aires Province city of Azul in 1865. His childhood interest in painting led to domestic violence at home, from which he left for Buenos Aires in 1879...
, and sculptor Rogelio Yrurtia
Rogelio Yrurtia
Rogelio Yrurtia was a renowned Argentine sculptor of the Realist school.-Life and work:Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Basque immigrants in 1879, Rogelio Yrurtia enrolled in the local Society for the Promotion of Fine Arts in 1899. A talented student, he quickly earned a scholarship on which...
, braved initial ostracism and helped popularize the genre locally. Honored with the Order of the Crown of Italy
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
in 1905, Collivadino became an honorary member of the Accademia di Brera, in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Collivadino remained sought-after in Argentina, and served in numerous art juries. He was named Director of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1908, and was prominent in Buenos Aires' Centennial International Exposition
Exposición Internacional del Centenario (1910)
The Exposición International del Centenario was an exhibition held between May and November 1910 in Buenos Aires, to mark the centennial of the May Revolution in Argentina...
, in 1910. Subsequent years saw the creation of Collivadino's best-known works, including Usinas (Power Plants, 1914). Collivadino was named director of scenography
Scenography
-Usage:Whilst also aligned with the professional practice of the scenographer, it is important to distinguish the individual elements that comprise the 'design' of a performance event from the term 'scenography' which is as an artistic perspective concerning the visual, experiential and spatial...
at the renowned Colón Theatre and remained head of the Academy of Fine Arts and taught there until his retirement in 1935.
He helped organize the Prilidiano Pueyrredón School of Fine Arts in 1939, and the Ernesto de la Cárcova
Ernesto de la Cárcova
Ernesto de la Cárcova was an Argentine painter of the Realist school.-Life and work:Ernesto de la Cárcova was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1866. Taking an early interest in the canvas, he studied at the local Society for the Stimulus of Fine Arts under painter Francisco Romero...
Museum, in 1941. Collivadino served as the director of the Pueyrredón School until 1944, when he was forced to retire by the new military regime of General Pedro Pablo Ramírez
Pedro Pablo Ramírez
General Pedro Pablo Ramírez was de facto President of Argentina from June 7, 1943 to February 24, 1944. He was the founder and leader of the Guardia Nacional, Argentina's Fascist militia....
(a dictatorship whose cultural policy was hostile to European influences, in favor of what it described as "criollo
Criollo people
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
virtues").
A 1946 young graduate of the Prilidiano Pueyrredón School of Fine Arts and one of Collivadino's last students, famed painter, cartoonist, journalist and author Geno Díaz (Eugenio Díaz del Bo), described those circumstances in his 1984 autobiography, stating that:
On the 4th of June [1943], the revolution erupted and expelled the school’s director, don Pío Collivadino, a man of a great technical knowledge, a distinguished artist who had devoted his life to the School. He was cruelly replaced by one of those incompetent perverts, and the illustrious elderly master died of sadness. It was one more crime, among many others, of fascism in Argentina.
The noted painter and teacher died in Buenos Aires, in 1945, at age 76.