9948

Sofía Terrero de Santamarina, née Sofía Terrero Peña 1921

Standing almost full-length, wearing a black off-the-shoulder evening dress, a necklace with large pearls and matching earrings, a large brocaded stole draped over her right arm, holding a  fan in her right hand: a vase of roses on a carved console behind on the right

Oil on canvas, 189 x 125 cm (74 ½ x 49 ¼ in.)

[no inscription recorded]

Laib L10406(507) / C15(4): Madame Latamurin [sic]

Sitters’ Book II, f. 27: Sofia Terrero de Santamarina Octubre 21. 1921.

Private Collection

In the autumn of 1921, de László painted five women of the Santamarina family. Three were painted in Paris, while the present picture and a half-length portrait of the sitter’s daughter, Sofía Santamarina Terrero [110554], were executed in London prior to de László’s departure for France. There is confusion as to when the sittings took place for the latter two pictures as the sitters are uniformly described in de László’s appointment book with the name Santamarina.^[1] Eleven sittings took place between 15 and 31 October and de László devoted full days to their completion, with no appointments with other sitters recorded during this time.

The artist had enclosed a reproduction of his portrait of the Duchess of Sutherland [7326], published on the cover of Country Life,^[2] in his correspondence with the sitter’s husband prior to the sittings.^[3] Sr. Santamarina replied: “Madame Santamarina & myself expect to arrive in London [from Paris] between 12th & 14th of Oct. We will call on you immediately after our arrival to make arrangements for the sittings for Portrait [sic]. The picture in “Country Life” of the Duchess of Sutherland is more or less what I desire; & Mme  Santamarina has had two or three dresses made, simple, & severe that I think will be appropriate for costume – When we are in London we can decide with you, as to which will be the most suitable.”^[4] The artist’s honorarium for this portrait was £1200.^[5] 

Being almost full-length, the present portrait can be counted amongst the very few full-length portraits executed by de László over the course of his career. Included among this group are two other South American sitters, Mercedes Santamarina Gastañaga [110553] who was painted in 1921 and Olga Budge de Edwards [5137] completed in 1913. Oakley Williams described accomplishment of the latter portrait in The Works of Philip de László: “László’s portrait of her, an unusually large canvas, which shows the tall, full-length figure almost life-size, is in style and conception altogether of the twentieth century. […] Its note throughout is triumphant modernity, confident enough to refuse to owe anything of its appeal to yesterday. The long, sweeping lines of the black gown show the symmetry of the tall figure to great advantage, and enhance the whiteness of the neck and arms.”^[6]  Undoubtedly, the present portrait of Sofía Terrero de Santamarina can be included among the finest examples of de László’s Grand Manner style.

Sofía Terrero Peña was born in Buenos Aires in 1876, the second of three children of José María Terrero Escalada (c.1842-1902) and Luisa Peña Lezica (c. 1850-1931). On 22 January 1900 in Buenos Aires, she married Enrique Santamarina Irasusta (1870-1937), the eldest son of Ramón Santamarina Valcárcel (1827-1904) and his second wife, Ana Irasusta Alduncín (1849-1921). Enrique Santamarina Irasusta was a landowner, who served as director of the Banco de la Nación Argentina and as Vice President of Argentina during the provisional government formed after the uprising of 6 September 1930.

Sofía Terrero de Santamarina and her husband had seven children: Enrique (born 1901), Alfredo (born 1903), Sofia Carmen Ana [110554] (born 1904), Alejandro Ramón (born 1907), Ramón José (born 1909), Enrique Ramón (born 1911) and Ricardo Santos (born 1912). Besides her devotion to her family, Sofía Terrero was an influential member of Buenos Aires society and undertook an abundance of charitable work. She was several times president of the Ladies’ Society for the Protection of the Workman,^[7]  president of Centres of Education for Workmen^[8], and gave her support to many other charities.

The sitter died suddenly in Buenos Aires on 7 May 1932 at the age of fifty-six. Her husband Enrique died in 1937.

LITERATURE:

•Williams, Oakley (ed.) Selections from the Work of P.A. de László, Hutchinson, London, 1921, Mrs. Edwpp. 225-228, ill. p. 224

•DLA048-0045, letter from the artist to Enrique Santamarina Irasusta, 12 September 1912

•DLA048-0046, letter from Enrique Santamarina Irasusta to the artist, undated [late September or early October 1921]

•DLA048-0047, letter from the artist to Enrique Santamarina, 1 November 1921

•László, Philip de, 1921 appointment book, private collection

SMdeL 2012