Charles Pellegrini
Encyclopedia
Charles Pellegrini was a French Argentine
engineer, lithographer, painter, and architect.
, Savoie
, France
, in 1800. His mother, Marguerite Berthet, was French, and his father, Bernardo Pellegrini, was from Canton Ticino, Switzerland
. Pellegrini was a talented sketch artist at an early age, and his drawings earned a prize while he was still in grade school. He enrolled at the University of Turin
and later at the École Polytechnique
, near Paris
, where he earned an engineering degree.
Pellegrini was contracted as an engineer by Juan Larrea, a prominent Spanish Argentine
merchant with interest in Bordeaux
, by request of President Bernardino Rivadavia
, and he arrived in Buenos Aires in November 1828. He took a post in the Hydraulic Engineering
Department. The bureau, however, was decommissioned in 1829 by order of the Governor of Buenos Aires, General Juan José Viamonte
.
He then returned to his early talent, drawing
, and sold a number of watercolor paintings, notably cityscape impressions. He was hired by his fellow countryman, journalist and lithographer César Hipólito Bacle, in October 1830 as a portrait painter, and by the end of his commission in September 1831, he had earned around 17,000 pesos
(around us$700). He continued to live as a successful lithographer and painter until 1837, when he purchased an estancia
, La Figura, in Cañuelas
.
He married María Bevans Bright in 1841, and the couple had four children. His wife was the daughter of Anglo Argentine engineer James Bevans, who had been Pellegrini's supervisor at the Hydraulic Engineering Department years earlier. That year, he and Luis Aldana founded the "Lithograph of the Arts," an atelier and printing house. He subsequently installed his own press at his downtown
Buenos Aires home, and remained mostly at La Figura.
Following the overthrow of Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas
in 1852, Pellegrini returned to Buenos Aires, founded the Revista del Plata (1853), and received numerous contracts as an engineer and architect. The most notable of his works in this latter field was the Colón Theater. The 2,500 seat opera house
, inaugurated in 1857, would be the largest in Argentina until the inaugural of the modern Colón Theater in 1908.
Pellegrini published a volume of poetry in his later years. He died in Buenos Aires in 1875, at age 75. His eldest son, Carlos Pellegrini
, was elected Vice President of Argentina in 1886, and became President
in 1890. Many of Pellegrini's watercolors are housed in the National Museum of Fine Arts
.
French Argentine
A French Argentine is an Argentine citizen of full or partial French ancestry. French Argentines form the third or fourth largest ancestry group after Italian Argentines, Spanish Argentines, and perhaps German Argentines...
engineer, lithographer, painter, and architect.
Life and work
Charles Henri Pellegrini was born in ChambéryChambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
, Savoie
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in 1800. His mother, Marguerite Berthet, was French, and his father, Bernardo Pellegrini, was from Canton Ticino, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Pellegrini was a talented sketch artist at an early age, and his drawings earned a prize while he was still in grade school. He enrolled at the University of Turin
University of Turin
The University of Turin is a university in the city of Turin in the Piedmont region of north-western Italy...
and later at the École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
, near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he earned an engineering degree.
Pellegrini was contracted as an engineer by Juan Larrea, a prominent Spanish Argentine
Spanish Argentine
Spanish settlement in Argentina, that is the arrival of Spanish emigrants in Argentina, took place firstly in the period before Argentina's independence from Spain, and again in large numbers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
merchant with interest in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, by request of President Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827 . He was a politician of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, Argentina today...
, and he arrived in Buenos Aires in November 1828. He took a post in the Hydraulic Engineering
Hydraulic engineering
This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
Department. The bureau, however, was decommissioned in 1829 by order of the Governor of Buenos Aires, General Juan José Viamonte
Juan José Viamonte
Juan José Viamonte González was an Argentine general in the early 19th century.-Biography:Viamonte was born in Buenos Aires and entered the army in his youth following in his father's footsteps...
.
He then returned to his early talent, drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, and sold a number of watercolor paintings, notably cityscape impressions. He was hired by his fellow countryman, journalist and lithographer César Hipólito Bacle, in October 1830 as a portrait painter, and by the end of his commission in September 1831, he had earned around 17,000 pesos
Argentine peso moneda corriente
The peso moneda corriente was a non-convertible Argentine paper currency which circulated between 9 January 1826, and 4 November 1881. Its symbol was $m/c. It was also known as the peso papel ....
(around us$700). He continued to live as a successful lithographer and painter until 1837, when he purchased an estancia
Estância
Estância is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Sergipe. Its population was 62,218 and its area is 642 km². The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Estância....
, La Figura, in Cañuelas
Cañuelas
Cañuelas is a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Cañuelas Partido. It is located near the outskirts of the Gran Buenos Aires conurbation....
.
He married María Bevans Bright in 1841, and the couple had four children. His wife was the daughter of Anglo Argentine engineer James Bevans, who had been Pellegrini's supervisor at the Hydraulic Engineering Department years earlier. That year, he and Luis Aldana founded the "Lithograph of the Arts," an atelier and printing house. He subsequently installed his own press at his downtown
San Nicolás, Buenos Aires
San Nicolás is one of the neighbourhoods of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, sharing most of the city and national government structure with neighboring Montserrat and home to much of Buenos Aires' financial sector...
Buenos Aires home, and remained mostly at La Figura.
Following the overthrow of Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
in 1852, Pellegrini returned to Buenos Aires, founded the Revista del Plata (1853), and received numerous contracts as an engineer and architect. The most notable of his works in this latter field was the Colón Theater. The 2,500 seat opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
, inaugurated in 1857, would be the largest in Argentina until the inaugural of the modern Colón Theater in 1908.
Pellegrini published a volume of poetry in his later years. He died in Buenos Aires in 1875, at age 75. His eldest son, Carlos Pellegrini
Carlos Pellegrini
Carlos Enrique José Pellegrini Bevans was President of Argentina from 6 August 1890 to 12 October 1892....
, was elected Vice President of Argentina in 1886, and became President
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
in 1890. Many of Pellegrini's watercolors are housed in the National Museum of Fine Arts
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Buenos Aires)
The National Museum of Fine Arts is an Argentine art museum in Buenos Aires, located in the Recoleta section of the city. The MNBA inaugurated a branch in Neuquén in 2004.-History:...
.