Museo Moderno
Pastorello Dignora
Usurpación, 1966. Oil on canvas, 70 x 50 cm

She was born in Buenos Aires on January 1, 1914 and died in the same city in 2001. Wife of the artist Jorge Larco, she studied at the Prilidiano Pueyrredón National Academy of Fine Arts. She perfected herself in Jorge Larco’s workshop, with Ramón Gómez Cornet and Luis Centurión. She was a member of the Group of 5 with Angel Fadul, Juan Ibarra, Eduardo González Taboas and Mario Vuono. She obtained a scholarship from the Government of Italy in 1974. She exhibited individually at the Witcomb Galleries in 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1966; Rubbers in 1964, Martina Céspedes in 1978, Spili in 1983, Julia Brané Plastic Arts in 1967, Agrupación Impulso in 1961 and 1970, General San Martín de Morón Historical and Art Museum in 1961 and Luján Museum of Fine Arts in 1961. He attended to the National Hall in 1960, salons in Mar del Plata in 1962, Santa Fe in 1983, Rosario in 1961 and 1963, together with the Group of 5 in Witcomb in 1960 and 1962, Gente de Arte de Avellaneda in 1962, 17 Artists in Witcomb in 1965, Modern Painters in Witcomb in 1966, Tribute to Jorge Larco in Witcomb in 1970, Cultural Exhibition of Plastic Arts and Literature of the Ministry of Culture and Education in 1972, Current Primitives of America at the Institute of Hispanic Culture of Madrid in 1967, Argentine Artists at the Municipal Museum of Modern Art of Mendoza in 1967, 14 Painters in San Telmo at Proarte in Buenos Aires in 1976, Inauguration of the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts of Chascomús in 1972, Women in Argentine Plastic Arts at the Malvinas Cultural Center In 1988, 12 Argentine Painters in Italy and Washington. He obtained the Picardo Prize in 1959 at the Buenos Aires Autumn Salon, in 1961 the Santa Fe Salon Prize in 1961, the Antonio Colombo de Savoini Prize in 1983 and the Government of Santa Fe Prize in 1983, the Acquisition Prize at the Mar Salon. del Plata in 1962, Acquisition Award from the Avellaneda Hall in 1962. Special Mention at the National Hall in 1965, Laura Barbará de Díaz Award in 1966, Quinquela Martín Award at the National Hall in 1967 and Eduardo Sivori and Matea Vidich Award in 1978, First Vicente López Municipality Award in 1972, First Prize at the National Hall of Tierra del Fuego in 1974 and First Prize at the Barrios Hall of Buenos Aires in 1974. For María Laura San Martín “her paintings reflect countryside landscapes, mountains, lakes and urban, with a light and soft palette but of multiple colors, with a naive style approaching the naïve.” (María Laura San Martín, Contemporary Argentine Painting, Editorial La Mandrágora, Buenos Aires 1961; Dictionary of Argentine Plastic Artists by Gesualdo, Biglione and Santos, Editorial Inca, Buenos Aires, 1988; Page of the Espigas Foundation).