Allegorical representations of Argentina
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There are various allegorical representations of Argentina or associated in any way with
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. There is not, however, a
national personification A national personification is an anthropomorphic personification of a state or the people(s) it inhabits. It may appear in political cartoons and propaganda. Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations ...
with its own name, like Marianne from
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, or
Hispania Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hispania ...
from
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, but sculptures and engravings representing
liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
,
republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
, motherland or other concepts that have been used officially by the Argentine state.


Sculptures

Despite the absence of a character with fixed traits, the allegory of Argentina is usually a female figure dressed in robes and wearing a Phrygian cap, which also appears on the Argentine coat of arms. Figures such as these appear in dozens of engravings, reliefs, plaques, paintings, memorials and sculptures. Some of the memorials that include an allegorical representation of Argentina are the "Monumento Nacional a la Bandera" in
Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...
, the '' "Monumento de los Españoles"'' in
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
, the ''"Monumento al Guardacostas"'' in
Puerto Madero Puerto Madero, also known within the urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land ...
, the ''"Monumento a la Gesta de Malvinas"'' in
Quequén Quequén is a port and a resort town in Necochea Partido, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, on the Atlantic coast by the Quequén Grande River, directly adjacent to Necochea. With a population of 14,524 inhabitants (INDEC, 2001) it is one of the ...
and the ''"Monumento al Ejército de Los Andes''" in Mendoza, among others. An allegorical representation is also figurehead of the ARA Libertad, the
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
of the
Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...
. Allegories regularly appeared in official memorabilia for the Centenary celebrations, as well as a prominent decorative feature in state buildings and logos of government departments at the turn of the century.


May Pyramid

The
May Pyramid May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days. May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, Ma ...
was remodeled in 1856 under the artistic direction of
Prilidiano Pueyrredón Prilidiano Pueyrredón (January 24, 1823 – November 3, 1870) was an Argentine painter, architect and engineer. One of the country's first prominent painters, he was known for his costumbrist sensibility and preference for everyday themes. ...
who commissioned the French artist Joseph Dubourdieu to build what the press of that period defined "a colossal statue of Liberty". Inaugurated a few days before the anniversary of May Revolution, the statue represents a figure very similar to the representation of the goddess
Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
, crowned with a Phrygian cap, armed with a spear in one hand and an Argentine shield as a defense in the other one.Banco Central de la República Argentina: ''La escultura en las monedas y billetes de la República Argentina'', available at http://www.bcra.gov.ar/pdfs/institucional/LaEsculturaMonedasyBilletes.pdf. Consulted on February 27, 2011. Although most sources mention the statue as an allegory of Liberty, in a publication of the Historic and Numismatic Museum of the
Central Bank of Argentina The Central Bank of the Argentine Republic ( es, Banco Central de la República Argentina, BCRA) is the central bank of Argentina, being an autarchic entity. Article 3 of the Organic Charter lists the objectives of this Institution: “The bank ...
, is considered an allegory of the Republic.


Bust in the White Hall

Chairing the White Hall in the Casa Rosada, where traditional ceremonies and important announcements related to the
executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state. In poli ...
are made, a bust of a woman with thick hair and the Coat of Arms of Argentina as a brooch in her chest is located. The work, done by Italian sculptor Ettore Ximenes, is entitled "The Republic", but others consider it a bust of "Motherland".


Mausoleum of General San Martín

In 1880, the remains of General José de San Martín were brought from France and placed in a
mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
inside the
Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral ( es, Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires) is the main Catholic church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located in the city center, overlooking Plaza de Mayo, on the corner of San Martín and Rivadavia ...
. The black sarcophagus is guarded by three life-size female figures that represent
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
, three of the regions freed by the General.


Monetary emissions

The first representation of an allegorical figure to appear on Argentine banknotes was the goddess
Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
(historical symbol of Athenian democracy), commissioned by the National Bank of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata during the Cisplatine War. The Greek goddess also appeared in banknotes issued by the National Bank during the governorship of
Juan Manuel de Rosas Juan Manuel José Domingo Ortiz de Rosas (30 March 1793 – 14 March 1877), nicknamed "Restorer of the Laws", was an Argentine politician and army officer who ruled Buenos Aires Province and briefly the Argentine Confederation. Althoug ...
in the
Buenos Aires Province Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...
. However, the first figure to transmit a ''sense of regionality'' is displayed in a series of banknotes printed by Britain and emitted by the Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires in 1867, where a young woman is seen holding a shovel in her left hand and a shepherd's crook in her right hand (representations of agriculture and animal husbandry, respectively). In some of the first
peso moneda nacional The peso moneda nacional (symbol: m$n) was the currency of Argentina from 5 November 1881 to 1 January 1970, the date in which the ''peso ley 18.188'' was issued to the Argentine public. It was subdivided into 100 centavos, with the argentino w ...
banknotes, various unidentified female figures showing her legs or her chest appear, "as the seductive image of a State that attracts citizens via women". The monetary reorganization, that begun during the first presidency of
Julio Argentino Roca Alejo Julio Argentino Roca Paz (July 17, 1843 – October 19, 1914) was an army general and statesman who served as President of Argentina from 1880 to 1886 and from 1898 to 1904. Roca is the most important representative of the Generation ...
, imposed the use of designs which were developed as to have a greater permanence in time. Two allegorical figures present in the first unified issues of currency and banknotes, the ''Bust of Liberty'' and the ''Effigy of Progress'', would be recurring in later releases.


Bust of Liberty

One of the most recurrent figures in Argentine currency is the ''Effigy of Liberty'' by the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
artist
Eugène André Oudiné Eugène André Oudiné (1 January 1810, Paris – 12 April 1887, Paris) was a French sculptor and engraver of medals and coins, and devoted himself from the beginning to the medallist's branch of sculpture, although he also excelled in monumental ...
, which shows the profile of a woman with a serene face, abundant hair loose to the wind and a Phrygian cap. Oudiné carved his ''Effigy of Liberty'' in 1881, by order of the engineer Eduardo Castilla, first president of the Casa de Moneda, to illustrate the reverse of the coins of the
peso moneda nacional The peso moneda nacional (symbol: m$n) was the currency of Argentina from 5 November 1881 to 1 January 1970, the date in which the ''peso ley 18.188'' was issued to the Argentine public. It was subdivided into 100 centavos, with the argentino w ...
, whose creation was enacted that same year to unify the monetary system of country. The ''Liberty of Oudiné'' was present in monetary emissions without interruption until 1942, when it was replaced by a modern bust made in 1940 by French sculptor Lucien Bazor. However, it reappears in the emission of 1957, and is present in subsequent designs of
peso ley The peso ley (unofficially ARL), usually known as either ''peso'' or, to distinguish it from the earlier ''peso moneda nacional'', informally as ''peso ley'', was the currency of Argentina between January 1, 1970, and May 5, 1983. It was subdi ...
, peso argentino and austral. A slightly different version appears on the banknotes of fifty cents m$n, in circulation between 1942 and 1960. This effigy can be compared with the design of Oudiné, and considered inspired by '' Liberty Leading the People''. The ''Liberty of Oudiné'' also appears in the logo of the
Central Bank of Argentina The Central Bank of the Argentine Republic ( es, Banco Central de la República Argentina, BCRA) is the central bank of Argentina, being an autarchic entity. Article 3 of the Organic Charter lists the objectives of this Institution: “The bank ...
, and the former company ''Gas del Estado''. It is also used in the seals of the Internal Revenue law present in
cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...
packs.


Effigy of Progress

Another common allegorical figure, in this on banknotes, is an Effigy of Progress which features a woman sitting, holding an Argentine shield with one hand and a lighted torch with the other. The design, which is usually attributed to the French writer Louis-Eugène Mouchon was carried out for illustrating the front of the
peso moneda nacional The peso moneda nacional (symbol: m$n) was the currency of Argentina from 5 November 1881 to 1 January 1970, the date in which the ''peso ley 18.188'' was issued to the Argentine public. It was subdivided into 100 centavos, with the argentino w ...
banknotes as a result of Act. 3505 of 1897, which authorized the ''Caja de Conversión'' to renew and unify all paper currencies in the period. The Effigy of Progress would be present in all series of banknotes by the ''Caja de Conversión'' from 1899 until 1935, when it was replaced by the
Central Bank of Argentina The Central Bank of the Argentine Republic ( es, Banco Central de la República Argentina, BCRA) is the central bank of Argentina, being an autarchic entity. Article 3 of the Organic Charter lists the objectives of this Institution: “The bank ...
, and will not be replaced until 1942, when the Central Bank made its first series of banknotes. The same figure, surrounded by laurels, reappears half a century later on the back of all austral banknotes. Apart from being identified with Progress, whose formalization is posterior, the figure was initially interpreted as an Effigy of the Republic.


Bicentennial celebrations

During the festivities and celebrations of the Argentine bicentennial, the young actresses Josefina Torino and Ivanna Carrizo interpreted the figure of Motherland. The artists were inspired by several sculptures, including the statue of the Republic on the frontispiece of the
Museo Histórico Sarmiento The Sarmiento History Museum ( es, Museo Histórico Sarmiento), located in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Belgrano, Buenos Aires, Belgrano, is a museum dedicated to Argentine history, and in particular to the Generation of '80 and the life of Pre ...
. The production looked specifically for two actresses with
mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...
features, as a way to include
indigenous peoples in Argentina Argentina has 35 indigenous groups (often referred to as Argentine Amerindians or Native Argentines) according to the Complementary Survey of the Indigenous Peoples of 2004, the Argentine government's first attempt in nearly 100 years to recogni ...
in the representationADN wichi y diaguita en nuestras Patria-voladoras
", ''Miradas al Sur'', 30/05/2010. Consulted on 26/02/2011.


Gallery

File:Independencia Argentina.JPG, Painting on canvas on the ceiling of the White Hall in the Casa Rosada with allegories of the
May Revolution The May Revolution ( es, Revolución de Mayo) was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the terri ...
and the Declaration of Independence File:Artgate Fondazione Cariplo - Ximenez Ettore, La Repubblica Argentina.jpg, ''La repubblica Argentina'', 1900 by Ettore Ximenes File:Banco-central-arg-feria-libro.JPG, The ''Liberty of Oudiné'' in the logo for the Central Bank of Argentina File:LOGOTIPO DE GASDELESTADO ARGENTINA AÑO 1981.JPG, The same figure was used for the logo of ''Gas del Estado'' File:Brazil argentina allegory.jpg, This 1890 allegoric drawing depicts the friendship between the Argentine Republic and the newly formed Brazilian Republic File:MHSarmiento011.jpg, Allegoric sculpture of the Republic in the Museo Histórico Sarmiento File:Buenos Aires - Bicentenario - la Patria.jpg, Representation of ''Homeland'' during the festivities of the Bicentennial of May Revolution File:20060128 - Mausoleo del General San Martín en la Catedral de Buenos Aires.jpg, Sculpture representing Argentina in the Mausoleum of General Don José de San Martín File:Panorama Argentino.jpg, Argentine Panorama magazine, published in 1910 as part of the Centennial's commemorations of May Revolution.


See also

*
National personification A national personification is an anthropomorphic personification of a state or the people(s) it inhabits. It may appear in political cartoons and propaganda. Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations ...
* Gaucho *
Allegory of Hispania Hispania is the national personification of Spain. The antecedent of this representation were some coins on which there was a horseman holding a lance and the legend HISPANORVM. These coins corresponded to the first half of the 2nd century BC a ...
* Marianne *'' Liberty Leading the People''


References

{{Reflist National personifications Argentine culture National symbols of Argentina