Andrienne Pauline Macaire (1796-1855): an artist in the margins

Abstract

During the nineteenth century many European artists travelled and settled in different parts of the Americas. Among them, many practiced lithography, achieving in some cases a widespread commercial success. This article examines the history of the Genevan artist Andrienne Pauline Macaire (1796-1855), owner with her husband of an early lithographic enterprise in the city of Buenos Aires. Macaire can be considered the first professional artist of renown active in that city. Indeed, it is possible to differentiate her trajectory from those of other contemporary women artists, of whom there is less information and fewer extant works. In the first part of the text, I analyze Macaire’s inscription in the national artistic literature. Then, I move to her training in Geneva and her important activity in Buenos Aires, establishing links with the local artistic milieu. Throughout the article I present works and sources yet unpublished, or insufficiently explored, in order to appraise her career and to provide elements for future research.