Ana Emma del Rosario Cortés Jullian, more commonly known as Ana Cortés (24 August 1895 – 5 January 1998), was a Chilean

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

of the

Grupo Montparnasse The Grupo Montparnasse was an organization of Chilean artists who had joined the gathering of great artists in the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris, France, in the early part of the 20th century. Founding members, Luis Vargas Rosas and Camilo Mori ...

. In 1974, she won the

National Prize of Art of Chile The National Prize of Art of Chile, was created on November 9, 1942. It was awarded yearly since 1944 and alternated the mention among Painting or Sculpture, Music and Theatre. In 1992, it was replaced by the National Prize of Chile, National Prize ...

, making her the first painter to do so.

Biography

Ana Cortés was born in

Santiago 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, who ...

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 eas ...

on 24 August 1895, the third of seven children Ernesto Cortés Ramirez and Ana Jullian Chesi. She studied in the home of Madame Lasaulce as a child, then lived for three years in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

with her godparents, Alejandro Bertrand and Mercedes Vidal. Returning to Chile, she completed her studies at La Serena High school. In 1919, Cortés enrolled in the

University of Chile The University of Chile ( es, Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843.

's and was taught by Frenchmen Juan Francisco González and Ricardo Richon-Brunet. This would have an important effect on her career. She returned to Paris in 1925 to study at the

Académie de la Grande Chaumière The Académie de la Grande Chaumière is an art school in the Montparnasse district of Paris, France. History The school was founded in 1904 by the Catalan painter Claudio Castelucho on the rue de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, near the Académ ...

under

André Lhote André Lhote (5 July 1885 – 24 January 1962) was a French Cubist painter of figure subjects, portraits, landscapes and still life. He was also active and influential as a teacher and writer on art. Early life and education Lhote was born ...

for the next two years and that same year entered the Académie Colarossi. Cortés would spend the next three years in Europe, touring museums in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, France,

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") , ...

, Switzerland, and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

, and became inspired by the abstract works of the

School of Paris The School of Paris (french: École de Paris) refers to the French and émigré artists who worked in Paris in the first half of the 20th century. The School of Paris was not a single art movement or institution, but refers to the importance ...

. In 1927, her work was exhibited at the

Salon d'Automne The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The f ...

. In 1928, Cortés returned to Chile and joined the teaching staff of the University of Chile as its first female professor. She stayed for three decades. In 2015, she had a solo exhibition of over thirty paintings and drawings at the National Museum of Fine Arts. Currently, her work is on display at the Museo Bellas Artes de Valparaíso.

Citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cortes, Ana 1895 births 1998 deaths 20th-century Chilean painters 20th-century Chilean women artists Artists from Santiago Chilean centenarians Women centenarians