Miguel Carlos Victorica
(Buenos Aires, 1884 - 1955)
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La Boca Artists
A panorama of the 20th Century
Miguel Carlos Victorica
 
He was born in Buenos Aires, on January 4, 1884. He starts his artistic studies with the Roman painter Ottorino Pugnaloni and in 1901 he is admitted as a student at the Asociación Estímulo de Bellas Artes, where his maestros are Angel Della Valle, Eduardo Sívori, Reinaldo Giudici, and Ernesto de la Cárcova.
In 1911, he travels to Paris to study under Désiré Lucas and gets a scholarship from the government to further his studies in Europe. He travels around Spain and Italy. During his stay in Paris he paints the portrait of the sculptor Madariaga, the portrait of his mother and Collar de Venecia. In 1917, he decorates the office of the head of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas de la Nación and, that same year, he exhibits for the first time at the Salón Nacional and shows his work at the Salón L'éqletique in Paris.
He returns to Argentina in 1918 and that same year he sends his Autorretrato (Self-portrait) to the Salón de Primavera. In 1922 he sets up his atelier on Vuelta de Rocha place and his first paintings in La Boca such as El amigo fiel (The loyal friend) (1922) soon become a reference in the naturalistic art tendency. Between 1923 and 1925 he takes part in an exhibit organized by the University of La Plata, which travels to Rome, London, Paris and Madrid. In 1926 he takes part in the Exposición Argentina in Bolivia. He also gets the Third Prize at the Premio Municipal and the Premio al Mejor Conjunto Award. In 1929 he participates in the Nuevo Salón and in 1930 his work is included in the Salón de Pintores y Escultores Modernos, both held at the Asociación Amigos del Arte in Buenos Aires. In 1931, he holds his first individual exhibit, all projects encouraged and organized by Alfredo Guttero.
In 1935 he exhibits in Pittsburg, USA. In 1938 he is awarded the Premio Estímulo and in 1941, the Gran Premio, both from the Salón Nacional. He immediately sets off to travel around the country, Chile, Bolivia and Perú. In 1946, he exhibits his work at the Salones Oficiales in Rosario, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Paraná and La Plata. In 1949, he exhibits at the Museo de Bellas Artes de La Boca; Municipal de Artes Plásticas “Eduardo Sívori” de Buenos Aires; Provincial de Bellas Artes in La Plata, Paraná and Santa Fe and Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes de Rosario. In 1950, he exhibits at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and Galería Bonino.
Victorica dies in Buenos Aires, on February 9, 1955.
His work is also exhibited at the following museums: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Bellas Artes “Benito Quinquela Martín” de La Boca; Museo Municipal de Artes Plásticas “Eduardo Sívori” and the provincial museums of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe and Paraná and the Museo “Juan B. Castagnino” in Rosario.