The brand new additions are the works “Portrait of Benito Quinquela Martín”, a replica of the bust made in 1929 by Luis Perlotti, and the sculpture “Stevedorer” by Pascual Guisasola Contell.
The picturesque Caminito de La Bocaone of the unavoidable tourist spots in the city and the dream of Benito Quinquela Martin (1890-1977) from being a colorful open-air museum, added two historical sculptures to its open-air walk, which have been restored and housed by the Museum of Fine Arts of La Boca of Argentine Artists “Benito Quinquela Martín”.
The brand new additions are the works “Portrait of Benito Quinquela Martín”a replica of the bust made in 1929 by Luis Perlotti, and the sculpture “Stevedore” of Pascual Guisasola Contellof historical character, which had been destroyed around 1989, it was officially reported.
“Among the works that make up the Caminito Open Air Museum, none yet paid tribute to its creator, Benito Quinquela Martín,” explained the institution that bears his name in a statement, with which the location of a replica of his portrait comes to settle a “historical debt,” he defined.
Regarding the other piece, “Stevedorer”, a replica of the work of Pascual Guisasola Contell, was part of the Caminito Museum since its creation, until 1989, when an act of vandalism completely destroyed it. A new tracing was made on the original sculpture, belonging to the museum’s collection.
With these two additions, there are now 26 sculptures in total that make up the heritage collection of this popular 150-meter-long tourist passage, which functions as an annex to the museum located on Avenida Pedro de Mendoza 1835, just as conceived by its creator, the painter Benito Quinquela.
The story behind the open-air Museum of La Boca
With its tin tenements painted in different colors and its cobblestone streets, in Vuelta de Rocha, the Caminito is one of the most emblematic walks in the City.
In 1959 the land – which was abandoned – was recovered to turn it into a pedestrian promenade. One of the great promoters of the enhancement of the area was the painter Benito Quinquela Martín, who grew up in La Boca and was a great benefactor of that neighborhood.
It was Quinquela Martín himself who, in 1959, encouraged this street to be named after the famous tango “Caminito”, composed by Juan de Dios Filiberto and Gabino Coria Peñaloza, who also have sculptures in this street that pay homage to them.
The Quinquela Martín Museum exhibits the largest collection of oil paintings and etchings by the artist of the same name, as well as works from the figurative currents of Argentine art since the end of the 19th century and by other artists from Boca.
It also exhibits a collection of figureheads, made by anonymous artisans with orally transmitted techniques and, on its terrace, figurative sculptures by Argentine artists stand out, from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
