Pedro Weingärtner

Pedro Weingärtner (26 July 1853 – 26 December 1929) was an important Academic painter of Brazil, and the first artist born in Rio Grande do Sul to win international praise for his work.

Born in Porto Alegre, to a family of German immigrants, he began his artistic career as an amateur, helped by his brother Inácio, who was a lithographer, and possibly also by the painter Delfim da Câmara.

[2] Wrecked by financial issues, he thought of abandoning his studies, but such situation was reverted by supportive friends, including Baron of Itajubá, who got for him a special scholarship from Emperor Pedro II upon Bouguereau's advice.

Thereafter for many years he divided his time between Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Rome, traveling very often and being celebrated as one of the most important Brazilian painters of his generation.

Major themes in his work were mythological scenes, landscapes and genre paintings focusing mainly immigrants and the gaucho, the folk type of Rio Grande do Sul people.