Celia Castro (1860,

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

- 19 June 1930, Valparaíso) was a Chilean visual artist. Her style is generally associated with

Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

Biography

Castro's artistic career was inspired from a meeting with the painter

Manuel Antonio Caro Manuel Antonio Caro Olavarría (born Manuel Antonio Caro Olavarría) (June 3, 1835 – July 14, 1903) was a Chilean painterSantiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

to study at the Academia de Pintura (es). She followed his advice and became a student of

Pedro Lira Pedro Francisco Lira Rencoret (17 May 1845, Santiago – 20 April 1912, Santiago) was a Chilean painter and art critic, who organized exhibitions that led to the establishment of the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts. He is best known for h ...

.Brief biography
@ Portal de Arte. Her first exhibition came in 1884, where she presented one of her best-known works, "Las Playeras" (Women on the Beach). In 1889, it won an award and was acquired by the

Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts The Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts ( es, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes or ), located in Santiago, Chile, is one of the major centers for Chilean art and for broader South American art. Established in 1880 (making it the oldest in South Am ...

. Thanks to this recognition, Castro was able to go to Paris to refine her technique. She was especially fond of painting the city's streets and corners. On her return, these new works prompted the government to give her a study grant and she went back to Europe in 1904. She was the first woman to receive such a grant. During this visit, her brushwork became more precise. It was then she created her second best-known work, "La Poda" (The Pruning). Castro eventually won praise from Parisian critics and exhibited frequently at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

. She returned to Chile in 1927 and died three years later, having paved the way for other female artists such as Rebeca Matte, the Mira sisters, Aurora and Magdalena. "La Poda" was later honored at a special exhibition at the University of Concepción, as part of an event relating to deforestation in Bío Bío.

Biography

References

Further reading