San Martín in Buenos Aires

What it is

This is a painting by Reynaldo Giúdice, who lived from 1853 to 1921, titled San Martín es recibido por el Congreso de Buenos Aires el 17 de mayo de 1818. It shows a formal reception hall with red drapery. Uniformed officers and men in dark coats stand in a crowd. A figure in a blue military coat with gold epaulettes and sash stands at the center, beside a red-draped table with papers. Men in clerical robes and civilian dress watch from the right. The painting was made before 1921.

Why it matters

The painting depicts a real event: the reception of San Martín by the Buenos Aires Congress on 17 May 1818. Because the painter worked decades later, the scene reflects how the event was remembered and pictured by a later generation rather than being a firsthand record.

Look closer

• Who stands at the center, and how do the other people in the room seem to look at that person?
• What clues in the clothing show the different roles of the men in the hall?
• What might a painter working decades later have chosen to show or leave out of this event?