Charles Henri Pellegrini

Charles Henri Pellegrini (1800-1875), was a Savoyard engineer who became an Argentine citizen and gained fame in Argentina as a portraitist and painter. We have selected his works for our book covers because of their relevance and ability to visually represent the history of Argentina.
Pellegrini’s paintings and portraits, charged with agile realism, vividly capture essences of Argentine society and culture of his time. His works serve as an invaluable visual record of the most varied everyday scenes. They offer a unique perspective on the country at a crucial moment in its history.
Pellegrini’s influence is not limited to his artistic contribution; His legacy also extends to his family. His son, Carlos Pellegrini, became president of Argentina. The choice of this artist’s images for our covers seeks to honor his contribution to Argentina’s cultural identity and provide readers with a tangible connection to the country’s historical and artistic past.
Around 1839, Pellegrini opened his workshop. There he will print the lithographs of the La Plata River. Among them is “El Retiro” of 1841 and several of the Plaza de la Victoria. After the decade 1828-1838, where César Hipólito Bacle was state lithographer, Pellegrini gave the main impulse to the printed art of lithography.
Charles Pellegrini was the son of the Italian-Swiss Bernardo Bartolomeo Pellegrini and the Frenchwoman Marguerite Berthet. He studied at the college of his hometown and at the University of Turin and the Polytechnic School of Paris. He obtained his engineering diploma in 1825.
He was hired by Juan Larrea at the request of Bernardino Rivadavia. He arrived in Buenos Aires in November 1828. He worked briefly in the Department of Hydraulic Engineers. Later, he devoted himself to drawing and painting. He collaborated with the lithographer César Hipólito Bacle and specialized in portraits.
He executed two hundred works between 1830 and 1831. His activity as a portraitist and lithographer continued until 1837. Later, he dedicated himself to the tasks of the field and bought the estancia “La Figura” in Cañuelas.
He married in 1841 Mary Bevans Bright, daughter of the English engineer James Bevans. They had two children, Julia and Carlos Pellegrini. In that same year, he founded with Luis Aldao the “Lithography of the Arts”. He published many prints and installed his own press in his home.
Charles Henri Pellegrini returned to Buenos Aires after the Battle of Caseros. He founded the Revista del Plata in 1853 and worked as an engineer and architect. His main work was the old Teatro Colón. He also composed poetry, but his drawings, watercolors and lithographs are his legacy. He died in 1875.