FROM THE SCULPTOR FROM EURINDIA

Araucanian. 1919.

Bronze on a granite base, with a bronze plaque “Araucano. S. Nacional, 1919. Luis Perlotti”. Bronze measurements: 42 x 34 cm. Granite measures: 18.5 x 30.6 x 20.6 cm. Work in excellent condition.

Bust of an Araucanian man. His features are robust, his posture is sturdy. His eyelids show us his advanced age, but standing tall, proudly, he looks up. The work stands as an exaltation of American traits. His dedication to the study of Native American traditions and histories was encouraged by both Eduardo Holmberg and Juan B. Ambrosetti as well as by the writer Ricardo Rojas -of whom he made a successful bust-, a true mentor of this Americanist current that was born in our country, imposing itself against the Europeanizing academicism that prevailed in the cultural and artistic environment of that time. But that fervor was reaffirmed thanks to his friend, the expert Francisco P. Moreno, who provided him with a large amount of information about the traditions, life, customs, and culture of the original peoples. Data of great importance for the artist, since just six years after this successful sculpture, in 1925, he was finally able to make a trip through the deepest Latin America. Pagano writes that “Luis Perlotti adopted a directive and remained faithful to it. This cohesion situates you. He has wanted to be the sculptor of Eurindia and that is it. He did not depart one point from such designs. The genius loci possesses him. The word America has meaning for him if it refers to what defines his autochthonousness. (...) This was proposed by Perlotti in his plastic arts, following the example of Ricardo Rojas, whose Americanist ideal reached the dimensions of an apostolate”. [1]

Perlotti presented Araucano at the IX National Salon of 1919 [2], three years later he obtained his first award there, the third prize of the XII National Salon with the bronze titled Quinquela Martín.

Luis Perlotti (Buenos Aires, 1890 - Punta del Este, Uruguay, 1969) first attended the Unione e Benevolenza evening drawing courses and the workshops of the Asociación Estímulo de Bellas Artes to later enter the Academy, where he had as teachers to Pío Collivadino and Carlo P. Ripamonte, until receiving the title of professor of drawing. He finally trained in sculpture with Lucio Correa Morales. His work is not only present in the most important national museums, but also embellishes our entire country, with numerous bas-reliefs, sculptures, busts, and monuments located in museums and public spaces. To mention a few, let us cite the Monument to Mitre in the city of Corrientes, Los Libres del Sur in Chascomús, Alfonsina Storni in Mar del Plata, The Return to the Homeland in Tunuyán, Mendoza, and La madre in Rivadavia Park in our city. He donated his house to the government of the city of Buenos Aires to form a museum, currently being the Museum of Sculpture of this City. Regarding the awards and exhibitions, let us remember the "Ciudad de Buenos Aires Award" of the XIV National Salon (1924), the International Exhibition of Seville (1927), the First Prize Salón de Otoño de La Plata (1932), and the Exhibition of his works in the Ameghino de Luján Association with a catalog prefaced by Ricardo Rojas (1933).

Notes:

1. José León Pagano, The art of the Argentines, Buenos Aires, author's edition, 1937.

2. Catalog of the 1919 National Salon: SEE

S.O.XXII - OOLM