The art historian Germán Rubiano Caballero wrote this essay in 1971, on the occasion of the retrospective exhibition of works by Andrés de Santa María at the Museo de Arte Moderno [Museum of Modern Art] in Bogotá. This exhibition included for the first time in Colombia, almost all of the artist’s work, which prompted the critic to state that it was time to “discuss him scientifically in light of new theories about art.” In addition to Rubiano Caballero, this exhibition was curated by the art historian Eugenio Barney Cabrera and the art critic Eduardo Mendoza Varela. Rubiano Caballero claims that it is necessary to “redefine Santa María,” and complains that until now, his work has been largely ignored. He disagrees with those who position this artist’s work somewhere between Impressionism and Expressionism. He criticizes the opinion of his fellow curator, Barney Cabrera, concerning the periods associated with Santa María’s styles, and disputes his inclination to link Santa María’s early work with Impressionism, and his later work with Expressionism. Rubiano Caballero states that the artist “paints like an amateur,” and describes him as “an unclassifiable artist” with no inclination to research; he charts the artist’s various periods, and ends his essay with a chronological listing of works and a bibliography regarding the artist.

Following the 1971 retrospective of works by the Colombian artist Andrés de Santa María (1860–1945) at the Museo de Arte Moderno [Museum of Modern Art] in Bogotá, a number of critics and art historians began to reevaluate his work in light of modern theories of art, and classified him as the “forerunner” of modern painting in Colombia.

In this essay, the art historian Germán Rubiano Caballero (b. 1938) breaks new ground by criticizing standard opinions on Santa María’s work. As distinct from the indulgent criticism of later years, Rubiano Caballero takes a harsh look at the artist’s work and disputes persistent myths concerning his styles and artistic qualities. 

Andrés de Santa María was born in Bogotá on December 16, 1860; he was taken to Europe when he was two years old and from then on lived in England, France, and Belgium. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Paris, and lived in Colombia for two short periods, during which time he was a teacher and director at the School of Fine Arts in Bogotá. In 1904 his work became the subject of early discussions about Impressionism (see “El Impresionismo en Bogotá I” [Impressionism in Bogota I], doc. no. 1080092, and “El Impresionismo en Bogotá II” [Impressionism in Bogota II], doc. no. 1079572). Santa María settled in Brussels in 1911, and never returned to Colombia. He died in Brussels on April 29, 1945 (see “Andrés de Santa María (Galería de Arte)” [Andrés de Santa María (Art Gallery)], doc. no. 1094300).