Ernesto de la Cárcova
Encyclopedia
Ernesto de la Cárcova was an Argentine painter of the Realist school.
, 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. He attended the prestigious Accademia Albertina in Turin
, where he was trained by painter Giacomo Grosso
.
At the 31st Turin Fine Arts Exposition in 1890, he presented The Head of An Old Man, a pastel
drawing he sold to the King of Italy
, Umberto I, for display at the Palazzo Quirinale in Rome. Returning to Argentina, he completed his best-known work, Without Bread or Work, in 1893. Set in Buenos Aires' industrial southside during the severe recession that followed the Panic of 1890
, the work is today displayed in the National Museum of Fine Art
.
Increasingly renowned, he was invited to direct the Argentine Artists' Fellowship Program in Paris in 1902 and received a gold medal for his work at the The Universal Exposition of 1904
in St. Louis (United States). During his stay in Europe, he took an interest in sculpture, purchasing a number of reproductions of works in the Berlin State Museums
collections, including those of a number of ancient Egyptian
, Chaldea
n, and Greek
busts and bronzes. Returning to Buenos Aires, he displayed a number of these works at the Buenos Aires Centennial Exposition in 1910 and was invited into the National Fine Arts Academy by its founder, fellow Realist painter Eduardo Sívori
.
He accepted a professorship at the University of Buenos Aires
and, continuing to participate in international events, he garnered a silver medal at a 1916 Paris arts exposition. de la Cárcova's design was honored as the choice for the great seal of the University of Buenos Aires in 1921, when he was named the first President of the National School of Fine Arts, an institution that absorbed Sívori's academy. The school is today part of the National University Art Institute, Argentina's foremost institution of its type.
Professor de la Cárcova bequeathed his collection of German sculptures for the creation of the Museum of Reproductions and Comparative Sculpture, which was named in his honor following his 1927 passing.
Life and work
Ernesto de la Cárcova 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...
, 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. He attended the prestigious Accademia Albertina in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, where he was trained by painter Giacomo Grosso
Giacomo Grosso
Giacomo Grosso was an Italian painter.-Biography:After spending his childhood at Glaveno seminary, Giacomo Grosso enrolled at the Accademia Albertina in Turin in 1873, thanks to a scholarship he was awarded by Cambiano Town Council...
.
Pastel
Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation....
drawing he sold to the King of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Umberto I, for display at the Palazzo Quirinale in Rome. Returning to Argentina, he completed his best-known work, Without Bread or Work, in 1893. Set in Buenos Aires' industrial southside during the severe recession that followed the Panic of 1890
Panic of 1890
The Panic of 1890 was an acute depression, although less serious than other panics of the era. It was precipitated by the near insolvency of Barings Bank in London. Barings, led by Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke, faced bankruptcy in November 1890 due mainly to excessive risk-taking on poor...
, the work is today displayed in the National Museum of Fine Art
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:...
.
Increasingly renowned, he was invited to direct the Argentine Artists' Fellowship Program in Paris in 1902 and received a gold medal for his work at the The Universal Exposition of 1904
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 (United States). During his stay in Europe, he took an interest in sculpture, purchasing a number of reproductions of works in the Berlin State Museums
Berlin State Museums
The Berlin State Museums, in German Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, are a group of museums in Berlin, Germany overseen by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and funded by the German federal government in collaboration with Germany's federal states...
collections, including those of a number of ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, Chaldea
Chaldea
Chaldea or Chaldaea , from Greek , Chaldaia; Akkadian ; Hebrew כשדים, Kaśdim; Aramaic: ܟܐܠܕܘ, Kaldo) was a marshy land located in modern-day southern Iraq which came to briefly rule Babylon...
n, and Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
busts and bronzes. Returning to Buenos Aires, he displayed a number of these works at the Buenos Aires Centennial Exposition in 1910 and was invited into the National Fine Arts Academy by its founder, fellow Realist painter Eduardo Sívori
Eduardo Sívori
Eduardo Sívori was an Argentine artist widely regarded as his country's first realist painter.-Life and work:...
.
He accepted a professorship at the University of Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...
and, continuing to participate in international events, he garnered a silver medal at a 1916 Paris arts exposition. de la Cárcova's design was honored as the choice for the great seal of the University of Buenos Aires in 1921, when he was named the first President of the National School of Fine Arts, an institution that absorbed Sívori's academy. The school is today part of the National University Art Institute, Argentina's foremost institution of its type.
Professor de la Cárcova bequeathed his collection of German sculptures for the creation of the Museum of Reproductions and Comparative Sculpture, which was named in his honor following his 1927 passing.