Abstract

The artistic effervescence that animated the second half of the 19th century in Chile is captured in several newspapers dedicated to Fine Arts, which bear the signatures of illustrious figures of the Chilean cultural scene. Among these publications we will focus on the Revista de Bellas Artes circulated in Santiago between 1889 and 1890. After analyzing the cultural context of its foundation, we will dedicate to analyzing some writings published in the magazine by Pedro Lira, Vicente Grez and Giovanni Mochi. We will demonstrate that the RBA was the voice of the most affluent sector of XIX-century Chilean society, which highlighted the shortcomings of the State in terms of progress and impulse given to the national arts.