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Secondary sourcePainting19th century

Portrait of O'Higgins Holding the Chilean Constitution

José Gil de Castro · 19th century

A painted portrait by José Gil de Castro showing O'Higgins in a red military uniform, holding a folded paper with handwriting. It is dated only to the 19th century.

A portrait of O'Higgins holding the Constitution, showing him as a statesman, not only as a soldier.

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Painted portrait of a man with dark wavy hair and sideburns, wearing a red military uniform with gold embroidery, gold epaulettes, a dark blue cape, and a blue-white-red sash. He holds a folded paper with handwriting and a cap in his other hand.
José Gil de Castro, Portrait of Bernardo O'Higgins holding the Chilean Constitution, 19th century.

About this source

What it is

This is a painted portrait of Bernardo O'Higgins by José Gil de Castro. The media description says O'Higgins wears a red military uniform with gold embroidery, gold epaulettes, a dark blue cape and a blue-white-red sash. He holds a folded paper with handwriting in one hand and a cap in the other. The painting is dated only to the 19th century, and the catalogue treats it as a secondary source.

Why it matters

Portraits like this were used to present leaders as serious public figures. The paper in O'Higgins's hand links the image to the Chilean Constitution, a document tied to the nation he helped to build. The painting therefore shows how the independence leader was remembered, and it also reflects the choices of the artist who painted him.

Look closer

  • What do the uniform, cape and sash tell you about how O'Higgins wanted to be seen?
  • Why might the artist have chosen to show a document in his hand rather than a battle?
  • What might this portrait leave out about O'Higgins's life or the conflicts of his time?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Bernardo O'Higgins on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Photograph of a handwritten manuscript titled Proclamación de la Independencia de Chile, displayed behind glass, with cursive Spanish text and a signature at the bottom.Document

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Chilean Declaration of Independence

Bernardo O'Higgins · 1 January 1818 (dated); proclaimed 12 February 1818

Document

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Provisional Constitution for the State of Chile of 1818

Bernardo O'Higgins · 8 August 1818

Title page of the 1822 Political Constitution of the State of Chile, printed in large serif capitals: 'CONSTITUCION POLITICA DEL ESTADO DE CHILE, PROMULGADA EL 23 DE OCTUBRE DE 1822', with 'Imprenta del Estado' at the bottom and an oval library stamp in the lower right corner.Document

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Political Constitution of the State of Chile of 1822

José Antonio Rodríguez Aldea · 23 October 1822

Full-length portrait painting of a man in a dark blue military uniform with gold embroidery, white breeches and black tall boots, wearing a light blue sash, with a sword and a plumed hat under his arm. A cannon battle scene appears in the background among mountains.Painting

Primary source

Portrait of Bernardo O'Higgins

José Gil de Castro

Oil portrait of a man in a dark blue military uniform with gold epaulettes, a red collar and a sash, holding a rolled document in one hand and resting the other on a sword hilt against a dark background.Painting

Primary source

Bernardo O'Higgins Holding the Chilean Constitution

José Gil de Castro

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