La Reconquista de Buenos Aires (Spanish : The Reconquest of Buenos Aires) is an Argentine historical painting by Charles Fouqueray in 1909. It depicts the victory of Santiago de Liniers against William Carr Beresford during the first of the British invasions of the River Plate, and the subsequent recapture of Buenos Aires from the British. It was made in the proximity of the Argentina Centennial.
The painting, as well as "La Defensa de Buenos Aires", were requested to the French artist Charles Fouqueray in 1906, by Ángel Estrada. The portrait was done outside of the network of portrait productions managed by the National Historical Museum in the proximity of the Argentina Centennial. The director of it, Adolfo Carranza, considered that the history of Argentina started during the May Revolution and that the previous events were not part of it, and that Santiago de Liniers should not be homaged because of being an enemy of it, when he led an ill-fated counter-revolution against the Primera Junta that took government after it. [1] Carranza had also conflictive relations with Bartolomé Mitre, who created the commission in 1896. [1]
As a result, there was little artistic productions related with the British invasions of the River Plate, in comparison with the Argentine War of Independence. Even more, Britain was a strong ally of Argentina during that time. The picture, however, was not intended to represent hostility towards Britain, but rather a triumph of the Spanish armies. [1]
The portrait was held at the Casa Rosada, later moved to a wing of the National Historical Museum, and, as of 2012, it is held at the Buenos Aires Cabildo.
The portrait has the traditional French style of military historical portraits made during the 19th century. [1] It was done with a strong dramatic style. Diego de la Bragaña lies dead in the floor at the bottom center of the portrait, the people help injured ones at the right side, and most of them wear bandages. In the center of the portrait, William Carr Beresford, leader of the British forces, surrenders to Santiago de Liniers, leader of the Spanish ones. In the scene depicted, Beresford offers his sword to the victorious general, which Liniers gently refuses.
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The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata meaning "River of the Silver", also called the "Viceroyalty of River Plate" in some scholarly writings, in southern South America, was the last to be organized and also the shortest-lived of one of the viceroyalties of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. The name "Provincias del Río de la Plata" was formally adopted in 1810 during the Cortes of Cádiz to designate the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.
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The May Revolution was a week-long series of revolutionary events that took place from May 18 to May 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires. It started the Argentine War of Independence, and it is considered the birth of modern Argentina.
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Marie Anne Périchon de Vandeuil (1775-1847), known as la Perichona, was a French noblewoman, who had an active role in the politics of Buenos Aires during the last year's of Spanish rule over the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.
Casa de Liniers is a national historical site of Buenos Aires, Argentina, built towards the end of 1780s. It was the official residence of Santiago de Liniers, 1st Count of Buenos Aires.