An International Proving Ground : Latin American Artists at the Paris Salons

Abstract

Between World Wars I and II, the various Paris salons were an important proving ground for Latin American artists. In addition to providing a well-established and supported cultural infrastructure, which in some Latin American countries simply did not exist at all and in others not to the same extent, these salons allowed artists to test new ideas and garner reviews that would help establish their reputation at home and abroad. Moreover, these artists understood the implications and parameters of exhibiting at the different salons and often selected their venue accordingly, strategically positioning themselves as traditional, anti-academic, or avant-garde. Latin American artists were not immune to the conflicts that plagued the independent salon in the 1920s, however ; and many took a stand in the face of increasing xenophobia.