In this review of the (1) Exposición de arte francés [Exhibition of French Art] held in 1922, artist and art critic Roberto Pizano discusses the importance of “cultivating oneself,” as well as the “Latin” origins of the works on exhibition. In addition to describing the works in the show, Pizano issues a series of warnings for those who may find recent trends in French art ludicrous. His discussion of the exhibition touches on distinct artists and movements, from Impressionism to Cubism, by way of Divisionism and Constructivism. The confusion caused by viewing so many trends at the same time is especially problematic in relation to the Cubist works, which in Pizano’s view, are aberrant and vague. Pizano considers all these schools naive and misguided. While contemplating French painting, Pizano asserts the Colombian viewer should feel pride in his national art insofar as Colombian landscapes, portraits, and traditional depictions are emblematic of the country’s artistic maturity.

“La exposición de arte francés”marked the beginning of the controversy surrounding the Exposición and the debate about avant-garde movements that would prove so important to the defense and development of modern art in Colombia in later decades. It is widely known that art criticism has largely denied other possible conceptions of modernism in the work of early twentieth-century artists.  

This text forms part of the critical discussion and debate that occurred pursuant to the 1922 exhibition, the first show of modern French art in Colombia, which was the first time Colombians had the opportunity to see artistic trends from France, and also from Europe. The debate largely ensued in Colombian newspapers, such as La Crónica and El Tiempo, and magazines, such as El Gráfico Ilustrado and Cromos.

Art critics Rafael Tavera (1878–1957), Gustavo Santos (1892–1967), and Roberto Pizano (1896–1930) were among those who participated in the debate. Pizano and Tavera defended local art, comparing it to European production. Santos, on the other hand, criticized the failure of the viewing public to understand the works exhibited. 

An artist and cultural advocate, and a member of the Círculo de Bellas Artes of Bogotá, Roberto Pizano is crucial to understanding the Colombian art scene of the twenties. He defended an academic art whose main point of reference was Spanish painting, eschewing modern and avant-garde tendencies in French art. Pizano advocated a Colombian art based on technical skill and local themes and customs in painting that were influenced by classicism. Pizano’s approach to the exhibition is that of a patient teacher attempting to show his students what mistakes not to make, and how to appreciate the value of their own culture.