Blanes, Juan Manuel (1830-1901)

Uruguayan self-taught artist, Blanes was the first relevant professional painter in his country. In 1855 he began teaching at the Escuela de Humanidades in Salto. Awarded a government subsidy, he traveled to Italy to study at the Academy in Florence with the neoclassical painter Antonio Ciseri. After receiving an academic training he returned to Uruguay where he had immediate success as a portrait and history painter. He traveled to Argentina, Chile and Paraguay recording the civil wars that took place during those years.
Blanes made detailed and precisely drawn paintings that record the victories of Independence, decisive historic moments for Argentina and Uruguay and the life of the gauchos. His work often distort the real facts in order to create a powerful national identity. In 1879 he produced "La Paraguaya" and "El