Eugenio Cruz Vargas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Eugenio Cruz Vargas

Born	Eugenio Cruz Vargas (1923-10-02)October 2, 1923 Santiago, Chile
Died	January 18, 2014(2014-01-18) (aged 90) Olmue, Chile
Nationality	Chilean
Known for	Painter and poet
Notable work	Painting: Macizo Almirante Nieto (Torres del Paine), Valparaíso, Landscape Mítico and other. Poetry: The only time I lie, Sky and From the Earthly to the Spatial
Movement	Naturalism, Romanticism and creationism

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Eugenio Cruz Vargas (born in Santiago, Chile, on October 2, 1923 – died in Olmué, Chile, on January 18, 2014) was a famous Chilean artist. He was known for being both a talented poet and a skilled painter. His paintings often showed realistic landscapes and later moved towards abstraction, which is art that doesn't try to show things as they really look. His poems started with ideas from surrealism, a style that explores dreams and imagination, and ended with creationism, a literary movement.

A Look at His Life
- His Education and Early Career
- Exploring New Horizons
His Paintings
His Poetry
His Legacy
Selected Works by Eugenio Cruz Vargas
Images for kids
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A Look at His Life

Eugenio Cruz Vargas came from a well-known family in Chile. His parents were Pedro Nolasco Cruz Correa and Maria Vargas Bello. He was the grandson of a literary critic named Pedro Nolasco Cruz Vergara. He was also related to other important historical figures like Andrés Bello López.

On July 15, 1950, he married Luz Vergara Errazuriz. Together, they had nine children: José Eugenio, Soledad, Juan José, Eduardo, Josefina, Isabel, Felipe, María de la Luz, and Santiago.

His Education and Early Career

Eugenio went to school at Colegio San Ignacio in Santiago, which was a Jesuit school. After finishing school, he started working at Banco de Chile. He worked in marketing and helped develop properties, especially in areas like Providencia, Vitacura, and Las Condes in Santiago.

In the early 1960s, he became a partner in an advertising agency called "Agencia de Publicidad Cóndor." He later became the owner of this company. He also started other advertising agencies, including "Cruz y del Solar," "Vía Publicidad," and "Publicidad Siete."

Exploring New Horizons

In 1970, the marketing world in Chile faced some challenges. Eugenio decided to travel to Europe and Asia to find new opportunities. While he was in Paris, France, he studied Art History at the École du Louvre, a famous art school.

Later, he moved to the United States. His goal was to find money to make movies that would involve both Chilean and American filmmakers. He successfully produced two films. One was a comedy called "Antonio," filmed in Chile. It starred famous actors like Larry Hagman and Trini López. The other was a drama called "Autorretrato," which featured Canadian and U.S. actors. Sadly, there are no copies of these films left in Chile today.

Eugenio loved nature very much. This love led him to buy farms in Los Angeles in 1965 and Río Bueno in 1974. He was also the person behind many other projects. These included Via Advertising (1974), Libraries for Chile (1987), and the Central Station Mall (1978), which is now called Paseo Estación Mall.

His Paintings

Eugenio Cruz Vargas held several art exhibitions where he showed his paintings. His early works, displayed in 1986 and 1999, often focused on the Chilean countryside and its natural beauty. He was inspired by the great artists of the 19th century who painted in naturalistic and romantic styles.

Nature was a very important theme in his art. His last painting exhibition was called "From Landscape to Abstraction." It took place in 2008 at the Cultural Institute of Providencia. He had four exhibitions in total, each showing more than one hundred paintings. Many art experts attended these shows.

His Poetry

Poems 1978, by Eugenio Cruz Vargas

Eugenio Cruz Vargas also wrote several books of poetry. His last book, "From the Earthly to the Spatial," was released on April 8, 2011. This book, with 250 pages, shared his experiences, feelings, loves, fears, and emotions.

A writer named Maria Carolina Geel said that in this book, Cruz Vargas kept his unique and dream-like poetic style. She noted that he used simple language to express deep feelings about love, life, and nature. Another poet, Emilio Antilef, described Cruz Vargas as "a child who does not give up on dreaming." He said that Eugenio used poetry to find beauty and meaning in life's struggles.

His two earlier books of poetry were also very popular. "The only time I lie" was published in 1978, and "Sky" came out in 1980. Both books received good reviews in major Chilean newspapers.

His Legacy

Eugenio Cruz Vargas passed away on January 18, 2014. On the first anniversary of his death, a foundation named after him published a tribute in the newspaper El Mercurio. The tribute said that his presence, like that of the English artist William Blake, would always be seen in his paintings and poems.

It highlighted that being both a painter and a poet was very special in Chile. His family remembered him as an excellent husband, father, and grandfather. They said his actions were always creative, honest, and responsible in everything he did. The tribute ended by sharing his last poem, which thanked art for all it had given him.