Generación del 13

At the beginning of the 20th century, alongside the celebration of the first 100 years of independence, Chile experienced a period where art began to be more widely appreciated by many people (among the upper classes, at least).

Though they were poor,[5] The 13 Generation was incentivized and educated to put their personality into their work and paint about poverty and the lower classes, considered taboo topics at the time.

Moving away from traditional themes, they maintained certain concepts, such as respect for an accurate representation of volume and colour, and technical expertise in painting the human form.

They also explored melancholy as a theme with rich dark colours, broad brush strokes, and less detailed forms which were sketched masterfully.

This was the case for both Arturo Gordon and Pedro Luna, whose styles were drastically different even though they were also two of the most notable members of the 13 Generation.

Its members – bohemians and admirers of Spanish masters – modified the academic conventions with opaque bitumens and contrasting colours.

Almost all of its members died young and it would be their contemporaries, the Grupo Montparnasse, who would eventually overtake the School of Fine Arts to set a new standard of painting in Chile.

At least one author has mentioned that the group was made up of approximately twenty artists,[13] including students from the University of Chile.

Members of The 13 Generation. From left to right, standing: Exequiel Plaza, Claudio de Alas, Tony Rogers (theatre operator), Alberto Lobos, Alberto Romero, Pedro Luna, José Backhaus, Lautaro García, Julio Ortiz de Zárate, Camilo Mori and Alfredo Lobos. Sitting in the middle: Julio Vásquez Cortés, Carmen Tórtola Valencia , Carlos Predes Saldías and Luis Johnson. Sitting on the floor: Enrique Lobos, Manuel Gallinato, Fernando Meza and Julio Walton.
El Mercurio building
Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor trained many members of The 13 Generation at the Academy of Fine Arts
The Chilean poet Pablo Neruda wrote about The 13 Generation and called them the "Heroica capitanía de pintores" (heroic captaincy of painters or heroic vanguard of painters). [ 10 ]
Generación del 13 Hall at the Casa del Arte in Concepción.