A SINGULAR FIND

Child portraits and self-portrait. Esperanza, province of Santa Fe.

Exceptional set of six vintage photographs, one in postcard format; two of them mounted on the photographer's cardboard, and the others loose. Measurements, around 12.7 x 7.5 cm, and 9.6 x 14 cm.

In the images, a wonderful self-portrait of the photographer with his violin under his arm and leaning on the art noveau railing of a staircase used in his studio as a set for his compositions, with a sky in the background. Also, a girl dressed in black, posing in Paillet's studio, next to a chair and a small table; these are two shots of the same session, one gelatin silver copy, the other on a postcard. And three portraits of children; a loose copy, with a baby shown on a cushion with its torso raised, naked, and with its tail and legs covered by tulle. The other two baby portraits, one vertical and the other landscape, are presented mounted on cardboard from Paillet's studio. No minor detail can be observed in the set, all the backgrounds have some kind of texture, they are never smooth. Painted curtains emulate skies, vegetation or rococo interiors.

Fernando Basilio Paillet (1880 - 1967), a unique photographer active in the Santa Fe agricultural colony of Esperanza, managed to harvest his aura of prestige after his death, discovered by the most prominent historians of Argentine photography, such as Miguel Ángel Cuarterolo (1) , Luis Priamo (2) and Sara Facio; in addition to deserving in 1981 a revealing exhibition in the country and abroad, curated by the Argentine Council of Photography. In 2018 his talent was the protagonist of a consecrated exhibition at the Fototeca Latinoamericana (FOLA). (3)

His works, extremely rare despite his dedication to social photography, deserve a prominent place in any collection of Latin American photography. Unfortunately, eighty percent of his photographic archive was lost; only about three hundred glass plates (silver bromide gelatin negatives, or dry plates) were miraculously saved from destruction, they were discovered by the researcher Luis Priamo. That treasure is deposited in the Museum of the Colonization of Esperanza.

The set that we present, unique, was put together by an enthusiastic researcher of this master of photography, who put it together when Paillet had not achieved the prestige that is now recognized nationally and internationally.

Grades:

1. Amado Becquer Casaballe - Miguel Ángel Cuarterolo: Images of the Río de la Plata. Chronicle of River Plate Photography 1840 - 1940. Photographer's Editorial, 1985, Second Edition.

2. Luis Priamo: Fernando Paillet. Photographs 1894 - 1940. Antorchas Foundation. Buenos Aires. 1987.