Martín Malharro Facts for Kids

Martín Malharro, a famous Argentine painter

Martín Malharro (born in 1865, died in 1911) was an important Argentine painter. He was the first artist to bring Impressionism to Argentina in the early 1900s.

Martín Malharro was born in 1865 in a city called Azul in Buenos Aires Province. When he was a child, he loved painting. This caused problems at home, so he left for Buenos Aires in 1879.

In 1885, a publisher named Roberto Payró helped the young artist. Payró encouraged him to join the Society for the Stimulus of Fine Arts. There, Martín learned painting from teachers like Francisco Romero. Romero was an Italian Argentine painter who focused on Realism. Other important local artists also taught him.

In 1887, Malharro was invited to a ranch in Córdoba Province. He stayed there as an artist and practiced painting landscapes.

In 1892, he traveled to Tierra del Fuego. There, he met Antonio Bosco, who taught him lithography. This art form became Malharro's first steady way to earn money.

In 1894, he showed his paintings at the Second National Atheneum. Most of his works were landscapes, especially wheat fields. Critics liked his art a lot. This success allowed him to travel to Paris in 1895. In Paris, he became friends with Rogelio Yrurtia, another Argentine artist who was a sculptor.

While in Paris, Malharro used his experience from the ranch to improve his landscape painting. He was inspired by famous Impressionist painters like Camille Pissarro and Claude Monet. He also learned from the Naturalist artists of the Barbizon School.

Becoming a Famous Artist
Gallery
Images for kids
See also

Becoming a Famous Artist

Nocturne, an oil painting by Malharro

Martín Malharro returned to Buenos Aires in 1901. The next year, he had an art show at the Witcomb Gallery. At that time, most people in Argentina preferred Realist art. But Malharro's 1902 show helped make Impressionism popular in the country.

His paintings of night scenes became very popular. Buyers wanted them, and critics praised them. Malharro's art then started to move towards Symbolism. He painted fewer wheat fields, which were common for Impressionists back then.

Malharro, along with Fernando Fader and Cesáreo Bernaldo de Quirós, became important Post-impressionist artists in Argentina. They were part of a group known as the Nexus group.

Because he became so famous, Malharro got a job at the University of La Plata. He became the Dean of the School of Art. He also taught at the National Fine Arts Academy. Many people wanted to visit his art studio (called an atelier) in Buenos Aires.

However, his second art show in 1908 was not as popular. Some Argentine critics still did not like the art from the Nexus group. Martín Malharro passed away in Buenos Aires on August 17, 1911. He was 46 years old.