When Andrés de Santa María submitted Launderers of the Seine to the Paris Salon in 1887[1], it took first prize. He was twenty-six, Colombian[1] by birth, and had been working in Paris since the late 1870s, studying under Ferdinand Jacques Humbert and Henri Gervex. It was a remarkable debut for someone whose home country had almost no tradition of academic painting at the time.
Key facts
- Lived
- 1860–1945, Colombian[1]
- Movement
- [1]
- Wikipedia
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Biography
He absorbed the influence of Courbet and Millet alongside the Impressionists, but his mature technique developed into something harder to categorise. He applied paint with knives and spatulas in thick slabs, building surfaces that are more tactile than retinal. Works from the 1900s show a Post-Impressionist interest in broken, heavy marks. A triptych commemorating the Colombian[1] capital (1906[1]) and a beach scene painted at Macuto, Venezuela (c.1907) suggest the range of his late subjects.
His return to Bogotá in 1893[1] was short-lived but consequential. He taught at the Academy and eventually served as its director from 1904 to 1911, during which time he organised an exhibition of his own work for Colombia's independence centenary in 1910. He spent the rest of his life principally in Brussels, where he died in April 1945[1], aged eighty-five. Colombian[1] critics have positioned him alongside Armando Reverón and Pedro Figari as one of the artists who first pushed Latin American painting towards the modern European mainstream.
Timeline
- 1860Born in Colombia.
- 1870Moved to Paris in the late 1870s to study art.
- 1887Won first prize at the Paris Salon for his painting "Launderers of the Seine" at 26.
- 1893Returned to Bogotá.
- 1904Became director of the Academy in Bogotá.
- 1906Painted a triptych commemorating the Colombian capital.
- 1907Painted a beach scene at Macuto, Venezuela (circa).
- 1910Organised an exhibition of his work for Colombia's independence centenary.
- 1911Left his position as director of the Academy in Bogotá.
- 1945Died in Brussels at 85.
Notable Works
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Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Andres de Santa Maria known for?
Andrés de Santa María is known for winning first prize at the Paris Salon in 1887[1] for his painting, Launderers of the Seine. Colombian[1] critics have positioned him alongside Armando Reverón and Pedro Figari as one of the artists who first pushed Latin American painting towards the modern European mainstream.Who was Andres de Santa Maria?
What was Andres de Santa Maria's art style?
Andrés de Santa María absorbed the influence of Courbet and Millet alongside the Impressionists. His mature technique involved applying paint with knives and spatulas in thick slabs, creating tactile surfaces. Works from the 1900s show a Post-Impressionist interest in broken, heavy marks.How did Andres de Santa Maria die?
Andres de Santa Maria died in 1945[1] at the age of 85.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Andres de Santa Maria.
- [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Andres de Santa Maria Used for: biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality.
- [2] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
- [3] book Gianlorenzo Bernini: new aspects of his art and thought : a commemorative volume Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [4] book guggenheim-twopri00weis Used for: biography.
- [5] book Tomlinson, Janis A, Painting in Spain : El Greco to Goya, 1561-1828 Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-24. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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