Academy of Painting (), also known as the School of Fine Arts of Santiago ( de Santiago), was a Chilean art school, founded on March 17, 1849 in Santiago, Chile. Initially located in a building of the University of San Felipe, now the site of the Municipal Theater of Santiago, it underwent relocation in 1891 and adopted the name Escuela de Bellas Artes. In 1910, the institution merged with the Museo de Bellas Artes, effectively discontinuing its operations as a separate entity. In 1932, it merged with and is now known as the Department of Visual Arts within the Arts Faculty, University of Chile.
The academy trained several early Chilean artists, including figures later recognized as the "four great masters of Chilean painting," as well as artists influenced by Pedro Lira and Antonio Smith, and those associated with the Generation of 1913. Its directors included Alejandro Ciccarelli, Ernesto Kirchbach, Juan Mochi, Cosme San Martín—the first Chilean to hold the position—and Virginio Arias.
Many of its students originated from regions outside Santiago, including Alfredo Valenzuela Puelma and Alfredo Helsby from Valparaíso, and Valenzuela Llanos from San Fernando.
History The creation of the Academy of Painting was part of the educational plan of President Manuel Bulnes. These initiatives were part of broader efforts to educate Chilean youth in diverse fields of intellectual activity, resulting in the establishment of primary schools, teacher training programs, high schools, and the University of Chile.
The promotion of various artistic disciplines continued with the founding of the School of Arts and Crafts (1849), the Conservatory of Music (1850), the introduction of architecture classes under the supervision of French architect François Brunet de Baines (1849), and the establishment of ornamentation and sculpture classes (1854) under the direction of Auguste François.
On 4 January 1849, following the end of the conflict with the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation, the decree establishing the Academy of Painting was signed. Writers and philologists including José Victorino Lastarria, Hermógenes Irisarri, and Jacinto Chacón supported its creation. The official founding took place on 17 March 1849, under the direction of Neapolitan painter Alejandro Ciccarelli, at the facilities of the National Institute.
The academy was originally located in the building belonging to the San Felipe University, in what is today the Municipal Theatre of Santiago. Various changes led the academy to merge with the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts () in 1910, and then later to hand its administration over to the University of Chile in 1932.
According to Memoria Chilena:
In La pintura en Chile. Desde la colonia hasta 1981, authors Gaspar Galaz and Milan Ivelic note:
During this period, the academy sought a unified style in Chile, reflecting the neoclassical preferences of Ciccarelli. In Europe, academies set uniform standards and guidelines to maintain what was considered "true art." This approach was adapted to the Chilean context, drawing on French methodologies.
Initially, the academy offered three main areas of instruction: head and limb studies, whole-figure drawing, and sculpture. The final stage included working with live models, drawing clothing from life, and studying anatomy. Over time, the curriculum and teaching staff expanded to accommodate the growing student body following the academy's merger with the facilities of the National Institute.
The Academy of Painting produced some of Chile's first national artists. Despite the significance of the academy, some art historians criticized the early period (1849 to 1915) as one of the dullest in the history of Chilean art and have based their criticism on first Director Alejandro Ciccarelli's attempt to copy the European model of teaching art.
Criticism of the academy Despite the academy's significance, many art critics consider this period one of the least notable in Chilean history. In Europe, easel painting had been refined over centuries, supported by numerous masters, extensive collections, and patronage throughout the continent. By contrast, Chile was in the early stages of developing its own artistic tradition, with limited local painting and a nascent national identity. Efforts to replicate European techniques without a firmly established local context proved challenging for the academy, especially during the more than two decades of leadership by its first director, Alejandro Ciccarelli.
According to the Spanish critic Antonio Romera, Ciccarelli was:
The same author notes that Ciccarelli did not succeed in educating disciples who fully adhered to his methods.Instead, several advanced students, including Pedro Lira and Antonio Smith, parted ways and explored different artistic styles and workshops.
According to Pedro Lira, Ciccarelli's setbacks were largely due to the limited artistic knowledge among Chilean aristocracy in the mid-19th century, with few points of reference beyond the "precursors of Chilean painting." This environment made significant educational progress difficult and challenged the Italian's neoclassical approach. While his rigid methods drew criticism from several students, they also introduced a neoclassical tradition in Chilean painting.
Notable people
It would be the starting point for some of the most prominent Chilean painters, including the four great masters of Chilean painting, Pedro Lira, Juan Francisco González, Alfredo Valenzuela Puelma, and Alberto Valenzuela Llanos; their pupils; and also the future "Generación del 13" (13 Generation) painting collective. Notable academy students included Antonio Smith, Elisa Berroeta, Cosme San Martín, Onofre Jarpa, and Manuel Antonio Caro.
Directors The academy's early Directors were Europeans, the Neapolitan artist Alejandro Ciccarelli; the German artist Ernst Kirchbach; and the Florentine Giovanni "Juan" Mochi. The first Chilean to hold the Director position was Cosme San Martín.
Alejandro Ciccarelli (1849 to 1869) Ernst Kirchbach (1869 to 1875) Juan Mochi (1876 to 1881) Cosme San Martin (1881 to 1893) Pedro Lira (1893 to 1900) Virginio Arias (1900 to 1911) Fernando Alvarez de Sotomayor (1911 to 1915)
Students of Ciccarelli (1849–1869) Ciccarelli's neoclassical style introduced themes previously unseen in Chile, including mythological motifs and scenes referencing ancient classical cultures.
Despite receiving instruction at the academy, many students—particularly those who achieved prominence, such as Pedro Lira and Antonio Smith—resisted Cicarelli’s teaching methods. Nevertheless, the following figures stand out among those who passed through his workshop:
Pedro Lira, described by Ricardo Bindis in Chilean Painting 200 Years as the “natural leader” of the Academy. He is often cited as the foremost of the “four great masters” of Chilean painting. Historians, including Antonio Romera, identify him as part of the “Generation of the Mid-Century.” Antonio Smith, a Romantic painter recognized for establishing Chile’s national landscape school. He is also regarded as Chile’s first caricaturist and worked for Correo Literario. Manuel Antonio Caro, a historical costumbrist painter considered one of the early figures in Chilean painting. Among his works are La Abdicación de O’Higgins and La Zamacueca. Pascual Ortega, a painter known for his genre and religious subjects. His style shares notable similarities with Cicarelli’s. Onofre Jarpa, a Romantic painter noted for his landscape works and also served as a diplomat. Cosme San Martín, a notable painter who later became the first Chilean to serve as director of the Academy. Abraham Zañartu, a painter primarily devoted to genre scenes and oil portraits. Miguel Campos, a prominent student of the Academy who distinguished himself as a draftsman in Paris.
Other students included Luciano Lainez, Manuel Mena, José Castañeda, Nicolás Guzmán, Albina Elguín, and Clarisa Donoso Bascuñán. In 1866, Agustina Gutiérrez enrolled, becoming the institution’s first recorded female student.
After several years, the Neapolitan master shifted his approach, “either due to pressure from some of his disciples or as the result of personal development,” incorporating elements of landscape painting into his work.
Antonio Smith was a strong critic of his instructor. In Correo Literario, he wrote:
Chilean artistic rebellion emerged during this director’s tenure, although its impact would not become evident until several decades later.
In 1859, by supreme decree, the Academy was granted the status of an institution of higher education and was renamed the University Section of Fine Arts, integrating the architecture and sculpture classes that had previously been taught separately. This decree also merged the Academy with facilities of the National Institute, a significant development as many students were simultaneously enrolled in both institutions.
In the same year, under the administration of President Manuel Montt, a new decree reorganized the Sculpture division, dividing it into statuary and monumental sculpture. After two decades as director, the Italian resigned in 1869 and was succeeded by the German artist Ernesto Kirchbach.
Students of Ernesto Kirchbach (1869–1875) Ernesto Sigismund Kirchbach was a German painter born in Dresden in 1832 and died there in 1880. He began working in Chile at age 37, introducing a strict academic approach and promoting Romanticism among his students.
According to Ivelic and Galaz:
According to Pedro Lira, Kirchbach showed signs of eccentricity and nervous outbursts, making his classes unpopular among students. Nonetheless, they acknowledged his talent for painting.
Among Kirchbach’s notable students were:
Pedro Lira: A prominent Chilean painter who also studied under Cicarelli. Cosme San Martín: A painter who later became director of the Academy; he, too, was a former student of Cicarelli. Alberto Orrego Luco: A Chilean landscape painter who has been identified by Ricardo Bindis as one of “the greatest Chilean painters of the 19th century.” Alfredo Valenzuela Puelma: One of the four “great masters” of Chilean painting, known for introducing the trend of painting nudes in Chile. Onofre Jarpa: A Romantic landscape painter and former student of Cicarelli. Pedro León Carmona: Regarded by Kirchbach as one of his most accomplished students. Carmona later founded both the Academia de Pintura del Círculo Católico and the Academia de Pintura de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Students of Juan Mochi (1876-1883) The third director of the academy was the Florentine painter Giovanni Mochi Pinx, known in Chile as Juan Mochi. He was the first to cultivate direct disciples, owing to his more innovative teaching method that emphasized guiding and encouraging students’ inherent abilities, rather than adhering strictly to the academic constraints of previous years.
Mochi was the first director to earn consistent appreciation from his students, many of whom developed distinctive personal styles under his instruction. Because his tenure overlapped with the War of the Pacific, numerous works he produced relate to that conflict.
Mochi’s innovative approach is also reflected in his own body of work. Although initially associated with Romanticism, he adopted a more realist style after arriving in Chile. Critics such as Ivelic and Galaz compare his costumbrista pieces to those of Manuel Antonio Caro, Mauricio Rugendas, and Ernesto Charton de Treville. As director, he encouraged students to experiment beyond traditional academic conventions, integrating elements of local (Creole) painting with European influences.
Several significant figures in Chilean fine arts studied under his guidance, including three of the four traditional “great masters” of Chilean painting.