PAINTING IN THE SOUTH AMERICAN NAIVE STYLE – Candido Lopez

CANDIDO LOPEZ 1/3 – He was an Argentinian painter (photographer and soldier), who worked in the Naïve style. In September 1866 he was wounded at the Battle of Curupaytí, and lost part of his right arm. When he regains health gradually begins to educate his left hand, which does most of his known work. Although right-handed, he taught himself to paint with his left hand and produced a number of sprawling battle scenes. He began his career as a daguerrotypist.

CANDIDO LOPEZ 2/3 – This early process required precise planning for the composition of the image, so he began making sketches as an aid. He is best known for historical scenes from the Paraguayan War (the War of the Triple Alliance pitched Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay against Paraguay). As a painter: he became an observer of frames, detailed by reality, and became interested in documenting what he saw as momentary, to try to “eternalize”. In 1863, he became friends with the Italian painter Manzoni, who advised him to work on his use of color.

CANDIDO LOPEZ 3/3 – He was planning to continue his studies in Europe when the Paraguayan War began, and during his free time between battles, he painted landscapes and pictures of the military camps. Many of his pictures depicting the regimented lines of troops preparing for battle, and the horrific aftermath of the conflict, bloody corpses littering wide and desolate spaces. He died in 1902 and was buried in the vault of the Military Circle Recoleta Cemetery.

You can see more on Meeting Benches, looking for http://meetingbenches.com/2016/08/candido-lopez-18401902-argentine-painter-naive-painting-styles-with-analytical-and-descriptive-naturalism/