Pedro Figari

Pedro Figari was a Uruguayan painter, lawyer, writer, and politician at the turn of the 19th century. Despite an early interest in art, Figari spent most of his life practicing law and only devoted himself to painting in his 60s. While his early paintings were influenced by the Italian academy and the Post-Impressionist works he encountered as a young man in France, Figaro’s later work demonstrates a unique and personal style. He painted mostly from memory—depicting scenes from his childhood as well as local customs and myths. In doing so, Figaro became an influential figure in defining a distinct Latin American artistic culture.