Camilo Egas

Art Brokerage: Camilo Egas Ecuadorian Artist: b. 1889-1962. Camilo Egas (1889-September 18, 1962) was an Ecuadorian master painter and teacher, who was also active in the United States and Europe. Camilo Alejandro Egas Silva was born in Quito, Ecuador in 1889 and grew up in the San Blas neighborhood. He studied at the College of San Gabriel y Mejia before enrolling, Egas studied at the Escuela de Bellas Artes in Quito in 1905. He stayed at the school until 1911 and studied under Paul Bar and Víctor Puiz.In 1919, Egas studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid on a second government grant. Egas returned to Ecuador in 1926 and played a pivotal role in forming the Indigenist Movement together with Oswaldo Guayasamin. The Indian theme seen in his work was related to the rise of Socialism and the constitution of Marxist parties in Latin America. In 1926, Egas founded Ecuador’s first art periodical, Helice (Helix). Egas combined the Costumbrista painting tradition of Ecuador with the influences of contemporary art movements other countries. He used his knowledge of European art techniques to create dramatic, large-scale oil paintings of Andean indigenous peoples and themes, bringing Indigenismo to the European 'high art' world. Egas's ideology and aesthetic of the 1910s and 1920s connect him to Spanish modernism, a movement espoused by the School of Fine Arts at Quito, which was inspired by its modernity and nationalism. During this time, Egas taught at the Normal de Quito and served as art director of the National Theatre. In 1927, Egas moved to New York, but occasionally lived in Spain and Italy, and made numerous trips back to Ecuador. He consecutively assimilated various styles: first, Social Realism, then Surrealism, Neo-Cubism, and finally Abstract Expressionism. Listings wanted.