TIME OF THE PROVINCES

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[ EN 600 ]

QUADRILATERAL TREATY 

This treaty was signed in 1822 to recompose relations between Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Corrientes after years of conflict. It established a defensive and offensive alliance, ensuring a united front against potential foreign attacks—especially from the Portuguese—and internal attacks from provinces that did not adhere to the treaty. Additionally, the treaty proposed the creation of a congress, while rejecting the already existing congress that Cordoba was attempting to establish at that time. In this way, Buenos Aires managed to dismantle an attempt of union that did not have it as its centre.

• MANUSCRIPT 

[ EN 601 ]

PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JUAN BAUTISTA BUSTOS 

After the fall of the central government, Bustos, an officer of the War of Independence, was elected governor of Córdoba. He held office until 1829 and devoted himself to organising the province institutionally, while promoting a new federal union project that would have Córdoba as its capital. 

However, the reluctance of Buenos Aires to relinquish its dominant role, together with the distrust of other provinces, led to the failure of the project.

• CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE, PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JUAN BAUTISTA BUSTOS LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 602 ]

MAP OF THE CITY OF SANTA FE IN 1824 

In 1818, Estanislao López became governor of Santa Fe, a province whose autonomy was under the attacks of the central government based in Buenos Aires. López confronted centralist policies and defeated Buenos Aires in 1820. During his tenure, he also made Santa Fe the first province to enact a constitution, which from 1819 laid the foundations of its institutional organisation. 

• MARCOS SASTRE  WATERCOLOUR INK DRAWING ON PAPER ADHERED TO CANVAS 

[ EN 603 ]

SABRE OF GENERAL JUAN FELIPE IBARRA 

In 1820, Tucumán became a republic which included the jurisdictions of Santiago del Estero and Catamarca (cities that had been part of its government since viceregal times). 

In Santiago del Estero there were autonomist sectors that sought the assistance of Ibarra, military chief stationed at the border with the natives, to challenge the dominance of Tucumán. In March 1820, Santiago declared its provincial autonomy and guaranteed it by force of arms the following year. Ibarra was appointed governor and remained in this position almost without interruption until 1851.

• STEEL, BRONZE AND LEATHER SABRE. IRON SCABBARD

[ EN 604 ]

GLASSES OF AIMÉ BONPLAND 

The French physician and naturalist Bonpland arrived in Buenos Aires in 1817 having been recommended by Rivadavia, whom he had met in Europe. 

He went to Corrientes and Misiones to study the cultivation of yerba mate and establish a production colony in Santa Ana, a former Jesuit mission located in the current province of Misiones. However, this region was a disputed area with Paraguay at the time. The Paraguayan supreme dictator, José Rodríguez de Francia, considered that the establishment was manufacturing without permission on his territory and subsequently attacked the colony. As a result of this conflict, Bonpland was taken captive and held in Paraguay for almost a decade. During this time, he devoted himself to the study and practice of medicine and agriculture.

• SILVER AND GREEN GLASS. CARDBOARD, WOOD AND PAPER CASE 

[ EN 605 ]

SABRE OF GENERAL MARTÍN RODRÍGUEZ 

Rodríguez, one of the revolutionaries of 1810 and later a soldier in the War of Independence, was elected by the Legislature to govern Buenos Aires between 1820 and 1824. To consolidate peace he signed the Treaty of Benegas between Buenos Aires and Santa Fe in 1820.

• STEEL, WOOD AND LEATHER. SCABBARD WITH INSCRIPTION “GENERAL MARTÍN RODRÍGUEZ” 

[ EN 606 ]

DIARY OF THE ARMY ON THE EXPEDITION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW SOUTHERN BORDER

Governor and Captain General Martín Rodríguez produced this report on military operations conducted to the south of Buenos Aires in 1823. The objectives of the expedition were to push the frontier line further, occupying the lands of native peoples to increase cattle production and make reports on the physical-geographical characteristics of the region to develop agriculture. The acquired public land was leased to a few producers at nominal costs, creating large estates. 

When it received the Baring Brothers Loan, the government of Buenos Aires used all the lands and real estate under public ownership as collateral.

• INDEPENDENCIA PRINTING HOUSE, 1823. LETTERPRESS PRINTING ON LAID PAPER 

[ EN 607 ]

CARDHOLDER AND CARDS OF BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA 

At the beginning of the 19th century, elite men frequently used personal or business cards to introduce themselves at social and political events. This was a fashion borrowed from Europe, where Rivadavia had an intense activity in public relations between 1814 and 1820.

• CARDHOLDER. BROWN LEATHER WITH DECORATIVE AND FLORAL PATTERNS 
• CARDS. WHITE CARDBOARD THAT READS “BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA” 
• CARD. LIGHT BLUE CARDBOARD, GUARD AND CENTRAL OVAL, EMBOSSED “BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA” 

SILVER DIDRACHM 

Sicily, circa 488-478 BC 

SILVER STATER 

Peloponnese, 431-400 BC 

SILVER STATER 

Corinthia, 375-300 BC 

SILVER DRACHM 

Macedonia, circa 322-319 BC

SILVER DRACHM

Italy, circa 300 BC

SILVER DRACHM 

Euboea, 290-271 BC

BRONZE OBOL 

Acarnania, circa 219-211 BC 

BRONZE AS 

Roman Africa, 8th -7th centuries BC 

BRONZE COIN 

Roman Africa, 29-30 AD 

SILVER TETRADRACHM 

Roman Syria, 110-111 AD 

[ EN 608 ]

GRAECO-ROMAN COINS 

Between 1814 and 1820, Bernardino Rivadavia embarked on a diplomatic mission to Europe.  He made numerous contacts and arranged for the purchase of a collection of ancient coins, mainly Greek and Roman, for the nascent government. Rivadavia’s interest in this acquisition was rooted in the tradition of modern states of gathering a cultural heritage common to the whole Nation, associating the origins of the new country with the societies of classical antiquity, often regarded as the cradle of Western civilization and exemplars of virtue and republicanism.

[ EN 609 ]

PORTRAIT OF LUCÍA PETRONA RIERA DE LÓPEZ 

In 1823, Rivadavia created the Sociedad de Beneficencia de Buenos Aires [Buenos Aires Charity Society]. This organisation, led by women from the Buenos Aires elite and funded through the public treasury, founded schools for underprivileged girls and managed the charitable institutions of the religious orders that had been dissolved with the ecclesiastical reform. 

Lucía Petrona was part of the Sociedad de Beneficencia from 1825 until her death. Her husband was Vicente López y Planes. In the portrait, she is depicted wearing jewels and an empire-style dress, reflecting her status among the elite. The book she holds in her hand is La mujer feliz, written by the Spaniard Merino de Jesucristo. This novel was used as a guiding example for the education of young girls.

• JEAN-PHILIPPE GOULU, PORTRAIT OF LUCÍA PETRONA RIERA DE LÓPEZ, 1827 OIL ON CANVAS 

[ EN 610 ]

VASE WITH THE PORTRAIT OF RIVADAVIA 

Rivadavia is portrayed with papers in which the main reforms he introduced as Minister of Government of Buenos Aires can be read: “Representative System,” “Ecclesiastical Reform,” “Religious Tolerance” and “Law of Oblivion” (which granted pardon to those who had been banished from Buenos Aires on political grounds in the previous years). 

While the Buenos Aires elite enthusiastically supported Rivadavia’s policies, popular sectors rejected such reforms. The ecclesiastical reform, in particular, was perceived as an attack on religion, and other measures that sought to strengthen the property rights of the landowners against the countrymen also encountered strong opposition. 

• COLOURED AND FIRE-GILDED PORCELAIN 
• ANONYMOUS, CARICATURE IN WHICH MARTÍN RODRÍGUEZ AND RIVADAVIA SEE A YOUNG MAN PAINTING ON THE WALL “MUERAN LOS HEREJES” [“DEATH TO HERETICS”], 1822, WATERCOLOUR

[ EN 611 ]

THE CHAIR OF THE DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BUENOS AIRES 

This chair was used by the deans of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) from its foundation on 12 August 1821 until 1881. The creation of the UBA was promoted by the presbyter Antonio Sáenz, its inaugural dean, and by minister Rivadavia as part of his educational modernisation plan. In its origins, the UBA sought a utilitarian profile that differentiated it from the University of Córdoba, which had been founded back in 1613. The UBA was a result of the merger of already existing institutions and academies dedicated to various disciplines.

• BLACK PAINTED WOOD, BACKREST WITH FLORAL MOTIFS, BACKREST AND SEAT UPHOLSTERED IN BROCATO

[ EN 612 ]

PORTRAIT OF BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA 

In 1815 Rivadavia had his portrait painted in London and, on his return, brought the painting with him. 

When his term as Minister of Government came to an end in 1824, he embarked on another trip to Europe. He returned to the Río de la Plata the following year, with the Constituent Congress already in operation. The Congress had been called in response to British pressure to recognise the independence of all the provinces, thus avoiding negotiations solely with Buenos Aires. Additionally, the growing tension with the Brazilian Empire over the Oriental Province was another factor behind the convening of the Congress. 

Rivadavia became the great leader of the Unitarian party.

• ANONYMOUS, PORTRAIT OF BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA, 1815 OIL ON CANVAS

[ EN 613 ]

PORTRAIT OF COLONEL MANUEL DORREGO 

Dorrego fought in the War of Independence and was later exiled to the United States on political grounds, where he closely observed the federal system. In 1826 he joined the Constituent Congress as a representative for Santiago del Estero and became the most prominent spokesman for the federal bench. He was also a very popular figure among the “low people” of Buenos Aires. 

In August 1827, following the dissolution of Congress, Dorrego was elected governor of Buenos Aires. The provincial Legislature presented him with this portrait the following year. He is portrayed clutching a roll of paper which reads “Paz” [Peace] and “1828,” the year in which, under his command, an agreement was reached to bring an end to the war with the Brazilian Empire.

• ANONYMOUS, PORTRAIT OF COLONEL MANUEL DORREGO, 1828 OIL ON CANVAS

[ EN 614 ]

PROCLAMATION OF GOVERNOR GREGORIO LAS HERAS 

When the Empire of Brazil declared war on the United Provinces, Las Heras, governor of Buenos Aires and interim head of the national executive branch, called to arms in defence of republicanism and against the only monarchy left in America.

The raising of an army, however, proved to be an exceedingly challenging task for the fragile central state that was trying to establish itself at the time. Recruiting abuses and lack of pay led to high desertion rates, while the disputes between some provinces and the central government  further complicated the recruiting process.

• PRINTING ON LAID PAPER 

[ EN 615 ]

SABRE OF ADMIRAL GUILLERMO BROWN 

A connoisseur of the waters of the Río de la Plata, Brown was the logical choice when it came to building a squadron against the Brazilian blockade. 

Like the Irishman Brown, numerous members of the crew on Rioplatense ships were foreigners: English, Scots, Greeks, Sardinians and Americans, among others. 

Although Brown’s attack on Colonia failed, his remarkable triumphs as the underdog in the Combate de los Pozos and Juncal earned him widespread popularity. He was later defeated at Monte Santiago and his squadron was greatly weakened.

• DAMASCENE STEEL, BRONZE AND IVORY BLADE. LEATHER AND BRONZE SCABBARD 

[ EN 616 ]

1 PESO BANKNOTE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL BANK UNDER THE PRESIDENCY OF RIVADAVIA 

During the war with Brazil, the economy plunged into crisis. Public debt grew and the issuance of paper money to cover the fiscal deficit led to an increase in the value of gold, which was intended to support it. Inflation began to run high and confidence in paper money was lost. 

To prevent counterfeiting, the American Bank Note Co. in New York was commissioned to print them in 1827. This banknote features portraits of heroes of American independence, such as the faces of Simón Bolívar and George Washington.

• PRINTING ON PAPER, NEW YORK, 1827 

[ EN 617 ]

NAVAL WARFARE

Control of the rivers was essential for trade, without which Buenos Aires could not raise the resources to sustain military efforts. Ships were purchased and merchant vessels were fitted out as warships to build a squadron. The Brazilian Navy was superior in numbers and armament, but the ships commanded by Brown managed to fight it. There was also active corsair warfare at sea.

• (1) CARLOS MOREL, BATTLE OF THE ARREGUI SHALLOWS, FEBRUARY 1828, 1848 OIL ON CANVAS 
• (2) JOSÉ MURATURE, THE ARGENTINE SQUADRON IN FRONT OF MONTEVIDEO OIL ON CANVAS 
• (3) ANONYMOUS, PASTEL DRAWING OF THE FLAG PRESENTED TO ADMIRAL BROWN FOR HIS TRIUMPH AT THE BATTLE OF LOS POZOS

[ EN 618 ]

DIE CUT FOR CARDS OF PRESIDENT BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA 

Congress created the office of president to improve the decision-making process. Rivadavia was chosen, who was sworn into office in February, 1826.

During his presidency, the name “República Argentina” [Argentine Republic] was adopted for the first time. The singular noun “Republic” represented Unitarians better than the plural in “Provincias Unidas” [United Provinces], which had been used until then. Resistance to his centralist policies and the peace agreement with Brazil, which was considered equivalent to surrender and remained unratified, led to widespread disapproval. Rivadavia had to resign a year and a half after taking office.

• COPPER PLATE WITH THE INSCRIPTION “EL PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA” [THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC], 1826 

[ EN 619 ]

MINIATURE PORTRAIT OF THE EMPEROR PEDRO I AND BRAZILIAN HUSSAR PLATE HOLDER 

Don Pedro, son of the King of Portugal, led Brazil’s independence and became its first emperor. Despite growing opposition to the conflict in Brazil, Pedro continued the fight intransigently until the impossibility of victory forced him to accept the peace proposed by the British.

Sabretaches were used to carry documents. This one was captured by the Rioplatense military from an imperial soldier of the hussar corps at the Battle of Ituzaingó. It bears a medal that reads “P.I.,” in reference to Emperor Pedro I.

• ANONYMOUS, PORTRAIT OF EMPEROR PEDRO I MINIATURE IN OIL ON CANVAS 
• LEATHER AND METAL SABRETACHE 

[ EN 620 ]

SHIELD AWARDED TO COLONEL FÉLIX FOR THE BATTLE OF ITUZAINGÓ 

This confrontation took place on 20 February 1827, when the Republican army invaded Rio Grande do Sul, culminating in the defeat and retreat of the Imperial army. It was the largest battle of the entire war and the largest fought on Brazilian soil in history. 

The following month, the Congress awarded a shield of honour to the soldiers who had fought in the Battle of Ituzaingó. It belonged to Olazábal, who during this battle commanded the battalion in charge of guarding the army's flag. 

• ENGRAVED SILVER 

[ EN 621 ]

HAT OF GENERAL JOSÉ MARÍA PAZ 

Many veteran officers who had previously participated in the wars of independence returned to service for the war against Brazil. Among them was Paz, who received the rank of general during the new conflict. Several of these officers were angered by internal dissent during the war and blamed the Federalists for the inability to continue the fight. Consequently, they decided to intervene against them at the head of their troops. Paz marched to Córdoba, his home province, thus inaugurating a civil war.  

• IMITATION LEATHER TEXTILES, BEADS, METALLIC THREADS, FEATHERS AND SILK

[ EN 622 ]

PEN WITH WHICH THE PEACE CONVENTION WITH BRAZIL WAS SIGNED

Until 1828, both Dorrego’s government in Buenos Aires and the Brazilian emperor sought to win the conflict. Finally both sides accepted that triumph was beyond their reach. 

Tomás Guido was sent as minister plenipotentiary to Rio de Janeiro. On 27 August 1828 he used this pen to sign the Preliminary Peace Convention, by which the “Province of Montevideo” became a “free and independent state.” There was no Oriental representative at the agreement. 

• WHITE GOOSE FEATHER 

[ EN 623 ]

MANUEL DORREGO’S RING AND LETTER 

When Dorrego was informed of his execution, he was given one hour to write his last letters. In one of them, he asked that no blood be shed to avenge him. In this copy on display, he bid farewell to his daughters and his wife, to whom he sent a lock of hair. For his eldest daughter, he sent the suspenders that she had embroidered for him. To his youngest, Angelita, he left this ring, “in memory” of her “unfortunate father.” 

These lithographs began to circulate around the city after his death, sparking public outrage. The letter to his wife and his portrait were the first lithographs made by the printing house of the couple César H. Bacle and Adrianne Pauline Macaire. 

• CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE, 1829 LITHOGRAPH 
• GOLD RING 

[ EN 624 ]

TABLE ON WHICH LAVALLE WROTE THE REPORT OF DORREGO’S EXECUTION 

General Juan Lavalle used his military prestige to act in politics. On 1 December 1828 he used his troops to depose Dorrego, governor of Buenos Aires, and proclaimed himself governor. Dorrego escaped and gathered an army, aided by militia commander Juan Manuel de Rosas. However, Lavalle’s forces defeated them at Navarro. Dorrego was arrested and handed over to Lavalle who, instigated by Unitarian leaders such as Juan Cruz Varela and Salvador María del Carril, ordered his execution on 13 December. He rationalised his actions as being for the “public good,” aimed at quelling the anarchy he attributed to the Federalist movement.

That same day he wrote the report of the execution on this table, informing his Minister of Government, José Miguel Díaz Vélez, of what had happened. 

• WOOD, TURNED LEGS 

[ EN 625 ]

SMALLSWORD OF COLONEL FEDERICO RAUCH 

Rauch was a German soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He arrived in 1819 in the United Provinces and joined the army. He commanded several military expeditions against the native peoples residing in Buenos Aires territory. In 1827, President Rivadavia presented him with this smallsword as a gift for his services in the frontier battles. 

In 1829, Lavalle sent him to put an end to the montoneras [paramilitary mounted group] that arose to avenge Dorrego. Rauch confronted a Federalist force supported by the Ranqueles [a native people which inhabited the territories of what is now known as the provinces of La Pampa, San Luis and Córdoba] and was killed by one of them. 

• STEEL, BRONZE AND NACRE SMALLSWORD. BRONZE SCABBARD 

[ EN 626 ]

TRANSFER OF DORREGO’S BODY 

A year after Dorrego’s execution, his body—identified by his clothes—was exhumed from the mass grave in Navarro where he had been buried. The government ordered his transfer to Buenos Aires and arranged a grand funeral presided over by Rosas. The event, of strong political nature, vindicated Dorrego and positioned Rosas as his successor not only in guiding provincial Federalism but also in assuming the mantle of the “father of the poor.” 

• DRAWING ARTHUR ONSLOW, CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE, TRANSFER OF THE BODY OF HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR MANUEL DORREGO, 1829 LITHOGRAPHY

[ EN 627 ]

SOLDIER’S DISCHARGE CERTIFICATE  

This document was issued to soldiers at the end of their military service. This particular certificate belonged to a biethnic soldier named Pantaleón Larra. It features illustrations of mounted warriors of native peoples and Federalist soldiers. These certificates included a column with information about the individual and his physical features. It is indicated that Larra received a medal award. 

The document dates from October 1829, the month in which Bacle’s printing house was designated as the state lithography and began producing official documents. 

• CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE, 1829 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 628 ]

FEDERALIST MONTONERO OF BUENOS AIRES 

After Dorrego’s execution, Rosas ordered the Buenos Aires militiamen to disperse and await further instructions. However, some groups of peasants began to act on their own as montoneras [paramilitary mounted group] in Dolores, Chascomús, Monte, Luján and other localities. The great tensions that had built up due to the economic crisis and forced conscription during the war with Brazil exploded in this popular uprising of 1829. 

• ANONYMOUS, FEDERALIST MONTONERO OF BUENOS AIRES, 1829 OIL ON CARDBOARD

[ EN 629 ]

SCENE OF CIVIL WAR  

In the 1820s, cavalry became the main weapon in the Rioplatense conflicts, displacing infantry. The handling of the lance and boleadoras [a tool consisting of two or three balls of stone united by a rope, as seen in this image, was important for mounted combat. 

• JUAN FOSSA, SCENE OF THE CIVIL WAR GOUACHE ON PAPER 

[ EN 630 ]

PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JOSÉ MARÍA PAZ 

(ENLARGED DETAIL) 

Paz played a prominent role in the conflict against Brazil and the War of Independence, in which he hurt his arm useless, and he began to be called “the one-armed man.” He won two famous battles when occupying Córdoba, namely La Tablada in 1829 and Oncativo in 1830, both against troops commanded by Facundo Quiroga. 

• DRAWING BY ADRIENNE PAULINE MACAIRE, CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE, PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JOSÉ MARÍA PAZ, 1829 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 631 ]

BOLEADORAS WITH WHICH JOSÉ MARÍA PAZ WAS IMPRISONED

These boleadoras [a tool consisting of two or three balls of stone united by a rope] put an end to the civil war initiated by the execution of Dorrego. 

The Federalists of the Litoral had begun to advance against the Unitarians and Paz set out to fight them. On 10 May 1831, while on an inspection in northern Córdoba, a Federalist squad reached him. These boleadoras, which belonged to the gaucho Francisco Zevallos, knocked Paz’s horse down and he was taken prisoner. Without his presence, the Liga del Interior was defeated. 

• LEATHER AND STONE 

[ EN 632 ]

THE CLOCK OF THE FOURTEEN PROVINCES  

This clock celebrates the union of the provinces in the Confederation. It is dated 1837, one year after San Luis defined its own coat of arms. The “national coat of arms” adopted by the Assembly of Year XIII presides over the clock, surrounded by 14 flags, representing all the provinces since 1834, when Jujuy gained autonomy from Salta. Attached to the clock is a strand of flowers and provincial coats of arms. After the Revolution, the majority of the provinces replaced the colonial coats of arms of their capital cities with the coat of arms of the Assembly, some with variations, expressing their adherence to a new project for the union of the peoples. 

• CARVED AND PAINTED CEDAR WOOD

[ EN 633 ]

PORTRAIT OF PEDRO FERRÉ 

Governor of Corrientes (1824­-1828, 1830-1833, 1839-1842) 

• ANTONIO SOMELLERA, PORTRAIT OF PEDRO FERRÉ, 1842 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 634 ]

PORTRAIT OF PASCUAL ECHAGÜE 

Governor of Entre Ríos (1832-­1841) and Santa Fe (1842-1845) 

• DRAWING BY CARLOS PELLEGRINI, CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE, PORTRAIT OF PASCUAL ECHAGÜE, 1830 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 635 ]

PORTRAIT OF ALEJANDRO HEREDIA 

Governor of Tucumán (1831­-1838). “Protector of the North” since 1834. 

• DRAWING BY ADRIANNE PAULINE MACAIRE, CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE, PORTRAIT OF ALEJANDRO HEREDIA LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 636 ]

PORTRAIT OF JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS 

Governor of Buenos Aires (1829-­1832 and 1835-1852) 

• HIPÓLITO MOULIN, PORTRAIT OF JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS, 1835 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 637 ]

PORTRAIT OF ESTANISLAO LÓPEZ 

Governor of Santa Fe (1818-1838) 

• DRAWING BY CARLOS PELLEGRINI, CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE, PORTRAIT OF ESTANISLAO LÓPEZ, 1830 LITHOGRAPH

[ EN 638 ]

PORTRAIT OF FACUNDO QUIROGA 

Federalist leader from La Rioja. 

• ARGENTINA PRINTING HOUSE, PORTRAIT OF FACUNDO QUIROGA, 1835 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 639 ]

DOCUMENT ON THE OCCUPATION OF ISLAS MALVINAS 

In December 1831, a US schooner attacked Puerto Soledad after the governor of the islands, Luis Vernet, detained US ships for illegal fishing. This document compiles testimonies of those who suffered the attack. Buenos Aires protested and sent a ship with convicts to the islands to form a penal colony. The British Admiralty seized the opportunity presented by US actions: one of its ships took Puerto Soledad and began the British occupation of the Islas Malvinas. 

• MANUEL MORENO, 1832 MANUSCRIPT 

[ EN 640 ]

PORTRAITS OF JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS AND ENCARNACIÓN EZCURRA 

María de la Encarnación Ezcurra was one of the most powerful women of the 19th century. Born into a family of the commercial elite, her marriage to Rosas in 1813 established a strong partnership. When Rosas led the expedition to the territories of the native peoples, Encarnación was his political representative in the city. 

Viewing other leaders within the Rosas faction as lukewarm towards her husband’s Federalist rivals, Ezcurra assumed the role of chief organiser and instigator on his behalf.

• ANONYMOUS, GENERAL DON JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS AND WIFE OIL ON METAL 

[ EN 641 ]

JOURNAL EL RESTAURADOR DE LAS LEYES

In 1833, the Porteño Federalists found themselves split into two factions: those who supported Rosas and those who opposed him, with the latter being called “black loins” after the colour of the edge of their ballot). Each group published journals attacking their opponents, and some of them were tried for libel in October. Among these was the pro-Rosas journal El Restaurador de las Leyes [The Restorer of the Laws], a name by which Rosas was commonly known. When this journal was tried, posters appeared announcing the trial. This led to a misconception, as many people, thinking that the trial was against Rosas and not the newspaper, mobilised to prevent it. Thus began the “Revolution of the Restorers.” 

• TYPOGRAPHIC PRINT ON VELLUM, 1833 

[ EN 642 ]

BLACK OFFICERS 

After the War of Independence, several Afro-descendants achieved a social upward mobility by joining the militias and armies. Two of them, with outstanding military careers, participated in the expedition to the territories of native peoples. Lorenzo Barcala, who had a political career on the Unitarian side, was in the Córdoba column and Domingo Sosa, who was a Federalist who opposed Rosas, served in the Buenos Aires column 

• BETBELE, PORTRAIT OF COLONEL DOMINGO SOSA LITHOGRAPH 
• ANONYMOUS, PORTRAIT OF COLONEL LORENZO BARCALA OIL ON METAL 

[ EN 643 ]

MAP OF THE CAMP AT COLORADO RIVER 

The Porteño column under Rosas’s command penetrated deep into the territory of native peoples, crossed the Colorado River—where the camp shown in this plan was located—and then the Negro River. It attacked different groups of “enemy Indians,” freed Christian women captives and took many women and children of native peoples prisoner. 

• CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 644 ]

SABRE OF HONOUR OF JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS 

The campaign against the native peoples came to an end on 25 May 1834. In recognition to his work, the legislative body of the Buenos Aires province, known as the Sala de Representantes, proclaimed Rosas “Hero of the Desert” and gave rewards to him and his soldiers. One of the awards given to Rosas was this sword of honour. He was also given the island of Choele Choel, which he exchanged for 60 leagues of land inside the Porteño frontier. 

• STEEL, BRONZE AND GOLD, MADE BY COULAUX FRÉRES, FRANCE 

[ EN 645 ]

HIP FLASK 

Found in the stagecoach where Facundo Quiroga was assassinated. The flask was carried by José M. Lueges, the postmaster, and rescued by Agustín Marín, the only survivor of this event. 

• RAWHIDE AND IRON

[ EN 646 ]

PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS 

The dissemination of Rosas’s image was a key element in exalting his figure and getting people to identify with him. However, Rosas was averse to posing, so most of the existing portraits are copies or versions of a few originals. 

This portrait, known as “Rosas the Great,” is one of his most idealised and recognised depictions.  

• CAYETANO DESCALZI, PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS, CIRCA 1840 OIL ON CANVAS

[ EN 647 ]

PAMPAS INDIANS

Rosas consolidated the link with the “friendly Indians” in what was known as the “peaceful trading of the Indians:” in exchange for not carrying out malones [plunder raids], they received an annual payment in money, cattle or yerba mate from the provincial state. The main groups were those of the caciques Catriel and Cachul, located in Azul and Tapalqué. Although violence and conflicts were greatly reduced on the frontier, they were not totally eliminated.

• DRAWING BY CARLOS MOREL, GREGORIO IBARRA PRINTING HOUSE, PAMPAS INDIANS, 1841 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 648 ]

INVITATION TO THE FUNERAL OF ENCARNACIÓN EZCURRA DE ROSAS

Encarnación died on 20 October 1838, at the age of 43. A crowd accompanied the coffin to the church of San Francisco together with authorities, foreign diplomats and military chiefs. The ceremonies were repeated the following month in parishes of the city and rural areas. Her funeral was a major political event, the most important given to a woman up to that time. 

• ANONYMOUS, INVITATION TO THE FUNERAL OF ENCARNACIÓN EZCURRA DE ROSAS, 1838 LITHOGRAPH

[ EN 649 ]

FEDERALIST PEINETA  

Women did not have the right to vote, but they also took part in political life, at meetings and street demonstrations or by wearing party accessories on their attire. 

This peineta [ornamental comb] reads: “Long live the heroine of the Federalists! I am firm, faithful and strong until death.” The identification of Encarnación Ezcurra as a Federalist heroine was so frequent that it was not necessary to name her. 

• TORTOISESHELL OPENWORK WITH INCISED RED LETTERING 

[ EN 650 ]

FEDERALIST SOLDIER 

The colour red represented the Federalists and it was used by various military units, which imitated the uniform worn since 1820 by the Colorados del Monte, a militia corps created by Rosas. 

Rosas’s aim was to bring order by exaggerating the politicisation that already existed in society. Everything was to be painted red: if there were only Federalists—the only political position allowed—there would be no real political competition.

• MAURICIO RUGENDAS (ATTRIBUTED), FEDERALIST SOLDIER, 1845 OIL ON CANVAS 

[ EN 651 ]

PORTRAIT OF JULIÁN GONZÁLEZ SALOMÓN 

Salomón had a pulpería [a shop selling everyday items and serving food and drinks] in front of the church of San Nicolás (where the Obelisk stands today), which became the headquarters of the Sociedad Popular Restauradora [popular restorative society], of which he was president. It was a political club supporting Rosas, created in 1833 after the “Revolution of the Restorers.” The Sociedad Popular Restauradora expressed its support for Rosas publicly and was dedicated to pressuring opponents. Some of its members created an armed wing: the Mazorca.

• ANONYMOUS, PORTRAIT OF JULIÁN GONZÁLEZ SALOMÓN OIL ON METAL 

[ EN 652 ]

SOLDIERS OF ROSAS’S ARMY DURING A MOMENT OF REST 

Central to Rosas’s figure was his military power. The barracks at Santos Lugares, located since 1838 at a short distance from the city of Buenos Aires, became the military centre of the government in 1840. This facility not only accommodated his troops but also hosted hundreds of “friendly Indians.” In times of political and military tension, the governor moved there. It also functioned as a prison. 

• ANONYMOUS, SOLDIERS OF ROSAS’S ARMY DURING A MOMENT OF REST OIL ON PAPER 

[ EN 653 ]

PROCLAMATION IN WHICH ROSAS ORDERS THE CEASE OF THE MOURNING FOR HIS WIFE 

The official mourning for Encarnación Ezcurra established the obligatory use of a black tie and black arm and hat ribbons, together with the Federalist strip. It was not only a token of love and respect, as her image was powerful among popular sectors and the absence of her political action was noticed in the government. After two years of mourning, Rosas put an end to it with this proclamation. 

• STATE PRINTING HOUSE, 1840, TYPOGRAPHIC PRINT ON PAPER AND TWELVE RED SILK ROSES. 

[ EN 654 ]

PONCHO OF JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS KNIT BY THE PAMPAS 

• ONE-PIECE WOOLLEN FABRIC WITH GEOMETRIC PATTERNED BORDERS 

[ EN 655 ]

BLACK POPULATION

Rosas implemented a series of measures that benefited the Afro-Porteña population, such as the

dischargement of freedmen who had served in the army for several years; the authorization for candombe

dances, to which he was even invited and which he attended with his family; and the invitation of “African

societies” to occupy a main place in the Mayan festivities of 1838.

For conservation reasons, the pieces on display here are periodically modified.

THE FEMALE SLAVES OF BUENOS AYRES

This painting shows an Afro-Porteño crowd during a demonstration in support of Rosas. It is the only

painting depicting the close bond between Rosas and lower class groups that is known to have been done in

that time. The dimensions of the painting, its inscriptions and the lack of frame for the canvas are

reminiscent of the flags of African societies. The work was allegedly hung in Rosas’s house to remind

visitors of the existence of this relationship.

Doroteo de Plot, The Female Slaves of Bues. Ays. show that they are free and grateful to their noble Liberator, oil on canvas.

1. This represents Pheme, messenger of the gods of Greco-Roman antiquity and incarnation of the public voice. Here she is making the novelty known: “No longer will a slave moan in the Plata in chains / Their bitter weeping ceased since human Rosas / Of his freedom proud, compassionate and generous / Provided this precious gift to the unhappy African.” In her left hand she holds a banner with the word “Freedom.”

2. These read “Long live freedom,” “Long live the Restorer of Laws” and “Death to the savage Unitarians.”

3. Women wore red bows in their hair as a sign of adherence to the Federalist Party.

4. The painter gave different skin colours to the people depicted: men are darker in colour, with the exception of the boy, who is very light-skinned. This shows the mestizo nature of Buenos Aires society.

5. Juan Manuel de Rosas has a piece of paper that reads “Freedom, no more tyrants.” “Tyrants” could refer to both traders of enslaved people as well as political enemies of Federalism.

6. Above the tent: The Confederate flag: It bears the proclamations “Restoration or Death” and “Long Live the Federalists.”

7. Broken chains symbolise the measure taken by Rosas in 1839 to abolish slave trade, which had been banned in 1812, but remained covertly at times, such as during the war against Brazil. Rosas himself allowed in 1831 the entrance and sale of slaves arriving with their masters—a decision that he would later overturn in 1833.

8. The scene is located at Rosas’s headquarters in Santos Lugares, in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. It reads the date: 1 May 1841. Two years before, in 1839, negotiations had begun with England for a trade treaty that would put an end to the slave trade. The treaty was signed on 24 May and ratified in 1840.

           Author’s signature. (below to the right) 

[ EN 656 ]

BRIDLE FOR HORSES 

In 1835, Rosas banned the use of light blue and green in military uniforms, as he considered them Unitarian colours. Federalist soldiers in different provinces wore red to identify themselves and distinguish themselves from their political enemies. 

The bridle placed on horses’ heads for protection and adornment were also an opportunity to demonstrate adherence to Federalism.

• WOOL AND FEATHERS

[ EN 657 ]

BERET OF THE ARMIES OF CORRIENTES 

This hat belonged to Juan Vicente Pampín, a trader from Corrientes who fought for his province against Rosas. Corrientes was a Federalist province but wanted a national constitution and protectionist measures. In 1839, the army of Corrientes was defeated by Entre Ríos forces in the Battle of Pago Largo, during which the governor Genaro Berón de Astrada died. But in 1840, Governor Ferré put together another Corrientes army under the command of General Paz, who had escaped from his captivity. 

• RED CLOTH WITH METALLIC THREADS AND BADGES.  

[ EN 658 ]

THE WAR AGAINST THE PERUVIAN-BOLIVIAN CONFEDERATION 

This ensemble made of belt and straps, which are used to hold the sword, belonged to Andrés de Santa Cruz, guardian of the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation. In 1837, Rosas accused him of facilitating Unitarian attacks from Bolivia and declared war on him. The burden of the conflict fell on the provinces, which were under the command of Alejandro Heredia, from Tucumán. The warfare stalled after the Bolivians occupied the Puna jujeña. However Santa Cruz was defeated in 1839 in another front by an army of Chileans and Peruvian opponents, and his Confederation was dissolved. 

• SILK VELVET EMBROIDERED WITH METALLIC THREADS AND SEQUINS, BUCKLE BELT WITH PERUVIAN SHIELD 

[ EN 659 ]

THE ASSASSINATION OF MANUEL MAZA 

Maza was one Rosas’s main collaborators and presided over the Houseof Representatives of Buenos Aires. In 1839, it became public that his son Ramón was conspiring against Rosas, who ordered his execution. Many supporters of Rosas assumed that Manuel was involved and organised a demonstration against him. On the night of June 27, Maza was about to sign his resignation letter with this pen when a group entered his office and stabbed him. Rumour was that Rosas had seen everything while hiding behind a curtain. 

• ANONYMOUS, COLOURED PENCIL DRAWING. BELOW IT READS: “ASSASSINATION OF THE ELDER DOCTOR MAZA, PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; ORDERED BY ROSAS THE TYRANT, HIMSELF WITNESSING THE BLOODY SPECTACLE” 
• PEN MADE OF BRONZE AND WOOD 

[ EN 660 ]

THE “ECCENTRICITIES” OF BACLE 

In 1828, married couple César Bacle and Adrienne Pauline Macaire opened the first lithographic printing house in Buenos Aires, where they would print lithographs, paintings, portraits and maps. Bacle and Macaire were the authors of a series of images that satirised a fashion trend of those years: the peinetones [big ornamental combs]. What is noteworthy is that in this image, a woman is portrayed wearing a light blue dress, a colour related to Unitarians, stepping on roses. However, it could not be established if it was an anti-Rosas gesture of those who made the lithograph.

In 1837, Bacle attempted to migrate to Chile, but Rosas accused him of taking documentation and ordered his detention. Bacle soon died in prison, which the French used as an argument to install the blockade. 

• DRAWING BY ADRIENNE PAULINE MACAIRE, PRINT SHOP CÉSAR H. BACLE, BIG ORNAMENTAL COMBS AT THE DANCE, 1834 LITHOGRAPH

[ EN 661 ]

JUAN LAVALLE AND FRUCTUOSO RIVERA 

In Montevideo, paper sheets with political content used to be published, such as these portraits of General Lavalle dressed as a civilian and Fructuoso Rivera, president of the Estado Oriental since 1839. 

In the image, the busts are decorated with wreaths of leaves where the names of the main battles fought by the two men can be read. Lavalle fought for Rivera during the Oriental civil war that led him to presidency. They would later ally against Rosas. 

• ATELIER OF JOSÉ GIELIS (ATTRIBUTED), PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JUAN LAVALLE AND OF GENERAL FRUCTUOSO RIVERA LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 662 ]

THE INFERNAL MACHINE  

At the end of March 1841, a package from the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries addressed to Rosas arrived at his residence. 

The package had been intercepted in Montevideo by Rosas’s enemies, who modified its content: medals and diplomas were taken out and replaced by a gun of 16 cannons arranged in a circle. The lid of the box was connected to two key guns through springs in such a way that the triggers would be pulled when opened. This would provoke a gunpowder explosion that would pass to the cannons through an inflammable trail, and the cannons would fire like a shrapnel to anyone around. 

The box was opened by Manuelita, Rosas’s daughter, but the mechanism failed. The wet gunpowder or a failure in the trigger frustrated the intended performance of the “infernal machine.” On 30 March, Rosas’s birthday, the attempted murder was made public, causing great outrage in Buenos Aires. 

• MAHOGANY FEATHER-VENEERED WOODEN BOX, WOOD, IRON, ROPES AND BRONZE CANNONS MECHANISM, 1841 

[ EN 663 ]

THE MAZORCA 

Commissioner Ciriaco Cuitiño led one of the two troops of the Porteño police which were appointed to political surveillance in the city. Among their tasks, they had to monitor the use of the divisa punzó [red strip that showed adherence to Federalism] and cut U-shaped sideburns, since it was associated with Unitarians.

In two particular moments of crisis, these troops operated independently of the police under the name of “The Mazorca.” First, in October 1840, as soon as Lavalle abandoned his attempt to take Buenos Aires. Second, in April 1842, when the news that Corrientes had defeated the Confederation forces arrived at a moment in which the war was thought to have finished. In both opportunities, Mazorca men captured people from their homes to beat them or slit their throats on the grounds of alleged Unitarian kinship. At least 80 people died. This was known as “The Terror.” 

The Mazorca was dissolved in 1846 and the feared Cuitiño was executed after Rosas fell. 

• PRILIDIANO PUEYRREDÓN, PORTRAIT OF CIRIACO CUITIÑO OIL ON CANVAS 
• CUITIÑO’S DAGGER, IVORY, SILVER AND STEEL BLADE 
• STICK USED AS A WHIP BY THE MAZORCA MEN LEATHER  

[ EN 664 ]

THE NORTHERN COALITION 

In November 1838, Alejandro Heredia, the northern Federalist leader, was murdered. Without his presence, several provinces began to modify their stand, annoyed with Rosas’s foreign policy and with the lack of constitutional organisation of the country. In 1840, Tucumán, Salta, Catamarca, Jujuy and La Rioja seized control of the foreign relations from Rosas and formed The Northern Coalition. Córdoba joined later. Their motto was “Constitution or grave.” Of all the northern provinces, only Santiago del Estero refused to join the Coalition. 

The Cuyo provinces became the bastion of the Confederation and fought against The Northern Coalition. A great army sent by Rosas from Buenos Aires joined them later. There were countless clashes, characterised by extreme levels of violence. 

The final battle broke out in Rodeo del Medio, Mendoza, on 24 September 1841. The Confederation troops were commanded by Ángel Pacheco, the general who never lost a battle. That day, the Coalition forces led by General Lamadrid were defeated by the Confederation. 

The repression was ruthless and many of the defeated had their throats slit. Among them was Marco Avellaneda, one of the young “Romantics” who had prompted the formation of the Coalition. In the end, the northern provinces were reinstated in the Confederation. 

• PIECE OF CEBIL UNDER WHICH MARCO AVELLANEDA AND OTHERS HAD THEIR THROATS SLIT, IN METÁN, SALTA, ON 3 OCTOBER 1841 
• BUCKLE WITH THE INSCRIPTION “CONSTITUTION OR GRAVE” METAL 
• BULLET FOUND IN BATTLEFIELD IN RODEO DEL MEDIO, IRON 
• SMALLSWORD THAT BELONGED TO GENERAL PACHECO, STEEL, BRONZE AND NACRE, LEATHER AND BRONZE SCABBARD

[ EN 665 ]

 SHAWL WORN BY GENERAL JUAN LAVALLE WHEN HE WAS ASSASSINATED 

VICUÑA WOOL IN BROWN WARP, WITH RED, YELLOW, BLUE, PINK AND GREEN SIDE STRIPES

[ EN 666 ]

PORTABLE WRITING DESK OF GENERAL JUAN LAVALLE 

This British portable writing desk allowed Lavalle to write and copy his manuscripts while he was in military campaigns. 

It contains writing elements—inkwell and punches—, copying books with the then novel technique of carbonic ink and the user instructions with the symbols of the British Crown and the legend “UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE KING.” 

• MAROON EMBOSSED LEATHER, INTERIOR OF VELVET AND SILK, BRONZE LOCK WITH LEGENDS: “WEDWOOD’S MANIFOLD WRITER” AND TWO CROWNS “BRAMAHS” AND “PRINCIPLE,” BRAND “WEDGWOOD,” LONDON 

[ EN 667 ]

THE VICTORY OF THE CONFEDERATION 

In September 1840, the Libertador Army arrived in the outskirts of Buenos Aires led by Lavalle, but retreated due to a lack of local support, and to avoid being locked between the Federalist forces of the city and other forces that could come to their rescue. The army then marched on to join troops with The Northern Coalition. 

Rosas sent a Federalist army to chase it, which was commanded by Manuel Oribe, the leader of the partido blanco oriental [White Party]. Oribe scored a great victory over Lavalle in the Battle of Quebracho Herrado, Córdoba, and beat him once again in the Battle of Famaillá, Tucumán, which was essential to crush The Northern Coalition. 

Lavalle was left with few men, but continued with his retreat until he was murdered on 9 October 1841 in a house in Jujuy where he rested. His supporters fled to Bolivia with his corpse to prevent it from being taken as a war trophy. 

In the meantime, the war had started again at the Litoral, where the Correntinos and the colorados orientales [Red Party] were joined by groups of Santafesinos that had turned against Rosas. But Oribe’s army, now with Pacheco, returned from the North and advanced on Entre Ríos, where the enemy army led by Rivera was. On 6 December 1842 both armies clashed in the bloody Battle of Arroyo Grande. It was a decisive victory for the Federalists and the blancos orientales [White Party], who occupied the whole Estado Oriental except Montevideo. All the Argentinian provinces became part of the Confederation again. 

• CAYETANO DESCALZI, BATTLE OF ARROYO GRANDE (ABOVE) OIL ON CANVAS 
• ANONYMOUS, BATTLE OF FAMAILLÁ OR OF MONTE GRANDE, 1841 (DOWN) OIL ON CANVAS 

[ EN 668 ]

DIVISA OF THE BLANCOS ORIENTALES [WHITE PARTY] 

In 1836, Fructuoso Rivera rebelled against Manuel Oribe, president of the Estado Oriental (Uruguay). Rivera’s followers embraced a red divisa while Oribe’s supporters embraced a white one with the inscription “Guardian of the Laws” against the rebels. Oribe was forced to resign, went into exile and obtained Rosas’s support. In 1843, the blancos won and occupied the whole country except Montevideo, where the colorados [Red Party followers] were besieged. Since then the blancos identified with the campaign and the colorados with the city. 

• WHITE SILK IMPRINTED WITH BLACK INK 

[ EN 669 ]

FEDERAL PATCH

The massive politicisation of the time was expressed in public by wearing patches on the clothes. Federalists embraced the red divisa punzó [strip that showed adherence to Federalism], red being the colour used by Federalists since 1810. The use of divisa punzó became mandatory in Buenos Aires in 1832. These strips featured the legend “Long live the Argentinian Confederation! / DEATH TO THE SAVAGE DISGUSTING FILTHY UNITARIANS!,” and the letters “F. or M.” - “Federation or Death [M stands for the Spanish word “Muerte”].” 

• SILK IMPRINTED WITH BLACK INK  

[ EN 670 ]

UNITARIAN DIVISA OF THE COLONEL ISIDORO SUÁREZ 

This Unitarian divisa is a rarity, since it is almost the only one that exists. 

The political legend “UNITY OR DEATH IS OUR DIVISA” is imprinted. 

It was worn by Colonel Suárez, who fought in the War of Independence, the war of Brazil and the civil war (1829-1831) on the Unitarian side. After being defeated he went to Montevideo as an exile, where he supported Rivera against Oribe and then fought against Rosas. 

He was the great-grandfather of writer Jorge Luis Borges. 

• SILK IMPRINTED WITH BLACK INK 

[ EN 671 ]

CAKE VENDOR 

Street vending was one of the most common occupations of the “underpeople” in the cities.

• CÉSAR H. BACLE PRINTING HOUSE, CAKE VENDOR, 1835 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 672 ]

GAUCHO’S FAMILY 

The majority of the population lived in the countryside. Many gauchos of Buenos Aires were employed on ranches but they would work a small family farm of their own, raising livestock or farming. This is reflected in the farming instruments here portrayed. 

• CARLOS MOREL, GAUCHO’S FAMILY, 1841 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 673 ]

BANKNOTES 

In the Confederation, there was no common currency. Rather, each province had one of its own. Metal coins were more valuable than banknotes. 

• 20 PESOS BANKNOTE, PAPER 1844 
• 50 PESOS BANKNOTE, PAPER 1848  

[ EN 674 ]

MAP OF THE PROVINCE OF BUENOS AIRES IN 1835 (ENLARGED DETAIL) 

COMPLETE MAP DIGITISED BY ANOTHER INSTITUTION 

This map shows the division of land in Buenos Aires with the names of its owners. 

This item was presented as a gift by the British diplomat Woodbine Parish, representative of the United Kingdom in Buenos Aires between 1825 and 1832, to his friend Manuel José García, Minister of Finance of various governments of Buenos Aires, including the first Rosas’s administration. 

• PRINT ON PAPER, 1835 

[ EN 675 ]

LIVESTOCK BRANDING IRON 

Branding cattle served to signal the ownership of the cattle. This instrument was used by Felipe Senillosa on his estancias in Buenos Aires, San Felipe and El Venado. 

• IRON WITH WOODEN HANDLE

[ EN 676 ]

PORTRAIT OF COLONEL MARTÍN SANTA COLOMA 

Santa Coloma was a fervent supporter of Rosas and he slit the throats of many opponents. Here he is portrayed wearing Federalist garments next to his horse. The inscription “Federation or death” can be read in his belt and in the bridle of the horse. The coat of arms of the Confederation and Santa Fe can also be seen since, for several years, Santa Coloma commanded a military force in Santa Fe. In the background, the combat of Quebracho is depicted, an attack led by him against the Anglo-French squadron in 1846. Later, he participated in the Battle of Caseros and, afterwards, Urquiza ordered that he had his throat slit. 

• FÉLIX REVOL, PORTRAIT OF COLONEL MARTÍN SANTA COLOMA, 1847, OIL ON CANVAS 

[ EN 677 ]

PORTRAIT OF EUSEBIO DE LA SANTA FEDERACIÓN 

Eusebio was a free black man who, as a “buffoon” entertained Rosas in his house in Palermo. Rosas used him to mock renown people. the image mockingly includes the legends “Long live Lavalle” and “Death to Rosas.”. 

Eusebio is portrayed wearing a gala military uniform with a lot of golden details, contrasting with the rip in the elbow and the torn shoe showing the toes, which counts as a statement of poverty. 

• ANONYMOUS, PORTRAIT OF EUSEBIO DE LA SANTA FEDERACIÓN, CIRCA 1839 OIL ON CARDBOARD 

[ EN 678 ]

PORTRAIT OF JACOBA ALAGÓN DE RAMIRO AND MANUEL LACASA 

Fernando García del Molino was known as “the Federalist painter.” He made portraits of the Rosas family and many eager Federalists. The punzó red strips and ribbons that ladies wore as hair accessories and the matching tone in the gentlemen’s garment created a Federalist aesthetics. 

Jacoba Alagón was the wife of Joaquín Ramiro, Rosas’s aide-de-camp. Actor Manuel Lacasa starred in “Oda patriótica federal” [Federalist patriotic ode] at Teatro de la Victoria, written in 1845 by Vicente López to highlight the fight against the Anglo-French blockade. 

• FERNANDO GARCÍA DEL MOLINO, OIL ON CANVAS 

[ EN 679 ]

PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JOSÉ FÉLIX ALDAO 

Aldao, a man from Mendoza who was ordained as priest, quit priesthood to join the Army of the Andes. Although he became a military man, he was still called “The Friar.” As a Federalist leader close to Rosas, he commanded a marching column against native peoples and had a prominent role in the victory over The Northern Coalition. 

In 1841, he was appointed Governor of Mendoza. He remained in that position until an illness forced him to quit. He died in 1845. 

• FERNANDO GARCÍA DEL MOLINO, PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JOSÉ FÉLIX ALDAO, CIRCA 1842 OIL ON CANVAS 

METAL STAMPS 

In 1842, coins with the bust of Rosas were issued in La Rioja, at a time in which Rosas wielded his power all over the country. Pieces such as 2 reales of silver and 2 and 8 golden shields were made. The bust carried the legend “ROSAS” below and, on the perimeter, the title “RESTORER OF THE LAWS” could be read.  At the back, there was the national shield with the legend: “CONFEDERATED ARGENTINIAN REPUBLIC.” 

• METAL STAMP MADE FOR THE FRONT OF RIOJANA COINS OF TWO REALES, STEEL, 1842 
• METAL STAMP MADE FOR THE FRONT OF A RIOJANA COIN OF ONE OUNCE, STEEL, 1842 

[ EN 680 ]

METAL STAMPS 

In 1842, coins with the bust of Rosas were issued in La Rioja, at a time in which Rosas wielded his power all over the country. Pieces such as 2 reales of silver and 2 and 8 golden shields were made. The bust carried the legend “ROSAS” below and, on the perimeter, the title “RESTORER OF THE LAWS” could be read.  At the back, there was the national shield with the legend: “CONFEDERATED ARGENTINIAN REPUBLIC.” 

• METAL STAMP MADE FOR THE FRONT OF RIOJANA COINS OF TWO REALES, STEEL, 1842 
• METAL STAMP MADE FOR THE FRONT OF A RIOJANA COIN OF ONE OUNCE, STEEL, 1842 

[ EN 681 ]

FEDERALIST GLOVES AND VEST 

Clothing contributed to reaffirming the Federalist political identity at a symbolic level, as the red colour of this vest exemplifies, as well as at an explicit level, as the inclusion of the portrait of the leader’s portrait or political slogans shows.

This profile of Rosas, printed on the gloves of a lady, possibly replicates the portrait used for the dissemination of the Hymn of the Restorers in 1835.

• WHITE KID GLOVES 
• RED SILK VEST WITH A VEGETABLE FIBRE BACK

[ EN 682 ]

“FEDERATION OR DEATH” DISH AND FLOWER VASE WITH PORTRAITS 

Federalism introduced new public and private ways of socialising that were also represented in objects of everyday use, such as crockery, clothing and decorative items. In all of them, the political decoration and a cult of Rosas and Encarnación Ezcurra are highlighted. In the flower vase and in the dish, the legend “Federation or Death” can be read. 

• POTTERY DISH WITH THE STAMP OF THE MANUFACTURER BEST GOODS, CIRCA 1835 
• GOLDEN PAINTED CHINA VASE 

[ EN 683 ]

PORTRAIT OF JUAN FELIPE IBARRA 

Ibarra, from Santiago del Estero, was one of the leading men of the Confederation. In 1830, he was ousted from the government of his province by Unitarians of the Liga del Interior, but returned to office after the Federalist victory. In 1840, he ordered the repression of an uprising in favour of The Northern Coalition. He was the only one of the old Federalist leaders who remained in power, until his death in 1851. 

In the portrait, the coat of arms of the province can be seen over the red sash. He can be seen wearing medals over his chest, won for participating in combats during the War of Independence, just like the ones that can be seen in the “Tiempo de Revolución” exhibit. 

• JOSÉ MACÍAS, PORTRAIT OF JUAN FELIPE IBARRA OIL ON CANVAS 

[ EN 684 ]

PORTRAIT OF JUANA DEL SIGNO DE ARAMBURU 

The habit of having a portrait made showing political allegiance spread over the whole Confederation during the 1840s. Which is what Juana del Signo, from Córdoba, is doing by wearing a Federalist red ribbon on her hair. Del Signo had been politically active since 1810, when she endorsed the May Revolution and collaborated financially with military expeditions to Alto Perú. She later joined Federalism. 

In 1830, she got married, her third time, with Andrés Avelino Aramburu, who in 1835 was appointed delegate Governor in Córdoba, during the political crisis that arose that year after Quiroga’s assassination. 

• ANONYMOUS, PORTRAIT OF JUANA DEL SIGNO DE ARAMBURU OIL ON CANVAS 

[ EN 685 ]

ALBUM OF MANUELITA ROSAS 

Elite young women were submitted to the tutelage of the men of their family. The basic education that they received at home was limited to literacy and simple maths. Some of them learn literature, languages, music and painting. In this album, of delicate, Manuelita collected watercolours and drawings of the famous Federalist painter Juan Camaña, as well as drawings of her first child, Rodrigo. 

• COVER OF RED VELVET, BRONZE, AT THE FRONT OIL PAINT, AT THE BACK THE MONOGRAM “MDERYE” 

[ EN 686 ]

PEINETÓN

The peinetón [big ornamental comb] was adapted from the original Spanish peineta [ornamental comb] to the Rioplatense fashion of 1830. Although the press and male groups criticised it for being grotesque, uncomfortable and extremely expensive, an important local industry emerged, which dealt with the import of tortoiseshell and the manufacturing and repair of peinetones. Moreover, peinetones made Porteño women visible in the public space, allowing them to break off with their traditional confinement to the domestic sphere. 

• FRETWORK AND MOULDED TORTOISESHELL 

[ EN 687 ]

CROP THAT BELONGED TO MANUELITA ROSAS 

Following the death of her mother, Manuelita Rosas played a key role in cultural and political life. She used to attend tertulias [social gatherings] and the best theatres of Buenos Aires, as well as black candombe and popular music parties and horse rides at the Palermo rural residency. She was outstanding as her father’s collaborator and she practised a personal diplomacy, which granted her the recognition of the popular sectors, foreign ambassadors and even opponents who took her as the antithesis of the “fierce tyrant.” 

• WHALE BEARD WITH RED PUNZÓ IVORY HANDLE 

[ EN 688 ]

DRAWING ABOUT ROSAS AND THE ANGLO-FRENCH INTERVENTION 

There were different attempts to achieve a diplomatic solution to this conflict. In 1847, France and England envoys arrived to begin negotiations, but, after a few months, they failed. This satirical image refers to the failure of the European diplomats. Rosas can be seen lassoing the tail of a bull with the face of John Howden, the English envoy. This refers back to Rosas’s cattle handling skills due to a large farming experience. There is also a playful connection with the satirical character of John Bull, with which the English was commonly represented. It includes a mocking message as it was being said by Rosas: “No, my friend. That’s not how it’s done. It seems we have to settle some accounts. Tell the old English how well I’ve held him! And that he has to leave.” 

• ILLEGIBLE SIGNATURE, 1847, COLOURED DRAWING 

[ EN 689 ]

SHRAPNEL THROWN IN THE COMBAT OF OBLIGADO 

Shrapnels were placed inside cannons and, after the shootings, they spread everywhere causing great damage, especially in the sails of the enemies’ boats. 

This shrapnel consists of 5 iron discs cut through in the middle by a shaft that is to be fixed at the top through a nut. There are four spherical bullets among the discs. 

• IRON 

[ EN 690 ]

BULLET THAT SHOT GENERAL LUCIO MANSILLA DOWN AT THE BATTLE OF OBLIGADO 

Once the combat began, Mansilla, head of the Confederation forces aiming to prevent the crossing of the Anglo-French squadron through the Paraná River, attempted to stop the enemies from touching land. When projectiles and cartridges ran out, he ordered an Infantry charge. A shrapnel bullet hit him in the stomach and fractured a rib. Mansilla had it put in a silver capsule along with the legend “20 November 1845.” 

• IRON 

[ EN 691 ]

AMMUNITION STORAGE BOX 

This box belonged to the war steamer Gorgon, the English flagship. A detailed list of ammunition kept in the box is written in ink on the surface. The inside is covered in metal to prevent water from entering. 

A few years earlier, the main maritime powers had started using steam ships as part of their military squadron. This was the first time this kind of ship sailed the Paraná River. 

• WOOD, BRASS AND ROPE 

[ EN 692 ]

SOLDIERS OF THE ARMY OF ORIBE SIEGE OF MONTEVIDEO (ENLARGED DETAIL) 

The troops of the Uruguayan partido blanco [White Party] and of the Argentinian Federalists can be seen during the siege of Montevideo between 1843 and 1851. The artist was part of the siege under the command of Oribe. 

• DOUMIC, 1844 INK DRAWING PAINTED WITH WATERCOLOUR

[ EN 693 ]

BATTLE OF OBLIGADO, 20 NOVEMBER, 1845 

• DICKINSON Y CÍA., BATTLE OF OBLIGADO, 20 NOVEMBER 1845 BASED ON THE DRAWING OF CAPTAIN E. S. INGLEFIELD, LONDON, 1846 COLOURED LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 694 ]

FLAG TAKEN BY THE FRENCH IN THE BATTLE OF OBLIGADO 

While in combat, the French troops captured five Argentinian flags that were in the boats holding the chain that prevented the crossing of the squadron. Although these were merchant flags, they were taken as “trophies” from the battle. 

For many years, those flags were at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, where Napoleon’s remains lay. In 1994, French president Jaques Chirac returned this flag to Argentina. 

• WOOL 

[ EN 695 ]

ATTAQUE ET PRISE DES BATTERIER DE PONTO OBLIGADO, 20 NOVEMBER,1845 (ENLARGEMENT) 

• JEAN P. CHAVANE, ATTAQUE ET PRISE DES BATTERIER DE PONTO OBLIGADO, 20 NOVEMBER  1845, BASED ON THE PAINTING OF FRANCOIS-PIERRE BARRY, CIRCA 1847 ENGRAVING 

[ EN 696 ]

PORTRAIT OF JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS 

This official portrait was painted after Rosas defeated all of his enemies in the war between 1838 and1842. It is an “apparatus” portrait, a style used to represent power. 

The fourteen provinces are numbered in the neoclassical column and Paraguay and Tarija are added in a different colour. Paraguay had split from the rest of the Rioplatenses in 1811 and officially declared independence in 1842, while Tarija became part of Bolivia in 1826. Rosas, however, did not accept those decisions and thought that they should be part of the Confederation. 

The coat of arms that appears next to Rosas's feet was added in 1851 as a homage to the “saviour of the Independence” and “eminent Republican.”

• FERNANDO GARCÍA DEL MOLINO, PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS, 1843 OIL ON CANVAS 

[ EN 697 ]

ARMCHAIR OF JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS 

It could have been a gift from a US-American diplomat or trader. Rosas took it to exile. His face and the coat of arms of the Confederation are carved in ivory. 

• DEER ANTLER, IVORY AND SILK 

[ EN 698 ]

FEDERALIST DECK OF CARDS 

In 1851, Juan Camaña, a self-taught artist and the drawing teacher of Manuelita Rosas, designed a potential deck of cards that would show main events of Rosas’s life. It was supposed to be an educational play in a threatening year for Rosism.  

But the project was never materialised. The deck of cards consisted of 26 cards with different dates: from the date of birth of Rosas to the declaration of war against Brazil, an allied country of Urquiza, on 18 August 1851. 

• JUAN CAMAÑA, 1851 INK AND GOUACHE ON CARDBOARD 

[ EN 699 ]

FEDERALISTS AGAINST FEDERALISTS 

Entrerrianos and Porteños wore the punzó red colour and the divisa to showcase their Federalist identity. When they parted ways in 1851, the legends in the divisas changed: the ones from Rosas side claimed “death to the crazy traitor savage Unitarian Urquiza,” while the ones in the Urquiza side read “Constitution or death” and “We defend the sacred Federalist law. The ones who fight against it are traitors.” In the Battle of Caseros, Urquiza’s troops wore a white front over the red uniform to distinguish themselves from Rosas’s forces, since they used to fight on the same side until very recently. 

• DIVISA OF URQUIZA’S SUPPORTERS, RED SILK EMBROIDERED WITH METALLIC THREADS 
• DIVISA OF GENERAL LUCIO NORBERTO MANSILLA, RED SILK IMPRINTED 

[ EN 700 ]

ROSIST CARTOON AGAINST URQUIZA 

This affront to Urquiza depicts him as a monstrous being with two faces, as a symbol of treason, made of snakes and little devils. On the hat, the legend “Long live the Anarchy” can be read. As loads it has: Fake News, Villainy, Masks, Calumnies, Treason, Daggers, Despotism and Ingratitude. His hind legs are destroying “the balances of equality and justice.” He is offering a poisoned mate, “Hemlock instead of yerba mate,” and he has “two medals of Treason given to him as a gift by his friend the Emperor of Brazil.” 

• ANONYMOUS PENCIL DRAWING PAINTED WITH WATERCOLOUR 

[ EN 701 ]

HARNESS OF JUSTO JOSÉ DE URQUIZA 

A harness is used to hold the saddle over the horse. This one has the coat of arms of Entre Ríos. 

Ever since the 1820s, the province was brought into permanent conflict due to opposition between the leadership of both shores: the Paraná and the Uruguay rivers. In 1832, a peace period began with the government of Pascual Echagüe. In 1841, Urquiza became governor and the central military leader of the Confederation. The peasants of Entre Ríos had to serve in militias and, in exchange, they were allowed to produce in tax lands. That is how a very successful military force was created. 

• GOLD AND SILVER 

[ EN 702 ]

RIFLE BULLET FOUND IN BATTLEFIELD IN CASEROS 

The decisive clash between Entrerrianos, Correntinos, Orientales and Brazilians who were part of Urquiza’s Great Army against Rosas’s forces—which was mainly formed by newly inexperienced recruits— took place on 3 February 1852 in Monte Caseros. That day, some 50,000 men fought the biggest battle that has ever occurred in Argentinian soil. The combat started at 10 am and lasted 3 hours. Urquiza won. After the clash, some of the defeated troops looted the city of Buenos Aires. 

• IRON 

[ EN 703 ]

PONCHO OF JUSTO JOSÉ DE URQUIZA 

Urquiza was an important landowner from Entre Ríos with great economic power. Several Federalist leaders who became governors of some of the provinces in the 1840s were military commanders with political clout in their place of origin but not in the entire province. They were sustained locally by Rosas’s support from Buenos Aires. However, even though he was also a military commander, Urquiza established a strong provincial authority. This allowed him to enjoy a growing political autonomy from Rosas and, as a result, to confront him. 

• WOOL AND SILK CLOTH 

[ EN 704 ]

BATTLE OF MONTE CASEROS, 1852 (ENLARGED DETAIL) 

• CARLOS PENUTI AND J. ALEJANDRO BERHEIN, BATTLE OF MONTE CASEROS, 1852 LITHOGRAPH

[ EN 705 ]

SPEAR OF GENERAL JUSTO JOSÉ DE URQUIZA 

• WOOD SHAFT WITH SILVER FRETWORK FERRULES 

[ EN 706 ]

DAGUERREOTYPE OF GENERAL JUSTO JOSÉ DE URQUIZA (EXPANSION) 

• FREDERICKS / ANTONIO POZZO (AUTHORSHIP UNDER DEBATE), 1852 

[ EN 707 ]

VEST THAT FLORENCIO VARELA WAS WEARING WHEN HE WAS MURDERED 

Varela was an eager opponent of Rosas in Montevideo, from where he wrote in the press. In 1843, he was sent to England to encourage his intervention in the Río de la Plata. In 1845 he supported the arrival of the Anglo-French fleet and enabled the convergence between the Estado Oriental, Paraguay, Corrientes and Entre Ríos as a Mesopotama republic. He was aware of the fact that the tensions between the Litoral Federalists and Rosas could benefit the enemies of Rosas. 

Varela was stabbed in 1848, allegedly by an envoy of the army that besieged Montevideo. The cut in the back of this vest is where the dagger entered. 

• EMBROIDERED SILK WITH SILK, WOOL AND COTTON THREADS 

[ EN 708 ]

JOURNAL LA MODA. WEEKLY GAZETTE OF MUSIC, POETRY, LITERATURE AND HABITS 

Young “Romantics” used La Moda to spread their ideas in Buenos Aires, where Rosas’s increasingly toughening government pushed them to go underground. They sought to keep one eye in Europe and the other in the Río de la Plata and they also tried to define a national literature. 

• PRINTED PAPER 1838 

[ EN 709 ]

DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF FRUCTUOSO RIVERA IN MONTEVIDEO 

When Montevideo was besieged in 1843, Rivera kept resisting in the campaign. In 1845, however, he was defeated by a Federalist army commanded by Justo José de Urquiza. He went to Brazil and returned to Montevideo in 1846, where he was badly greeted by the government. When he refused to go on a diplomatic mission, the government arrested him. Nevertheless, Rivera enjoyed wide popularity and a violent mutiny was staged in his favour by Basque-French militia men and black soldiers, as represented by this image. He was released and named General, but in 1847 fell into disgrace and was sent to exile. 

• ANONYMOUS, DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF FRUCTUOSO RIVERA IN MONTEVIDEO, 1846 LITHOGRAPH 

[ EN 710 ]

PORTRAIT OF MARÍA SÁNCHEZ DE MENDEVILLE 

Keeping  a distant relationship with her cousin Rosas, with whom she had been close, Mariquita migrated to Montevideo in 1838 and assisted the exiles. However, she was never proscribed and visited Buenos Aires several times. This portrait from 1845 made by German painter Rugendas is considered to be the first Romantic work of the Río de la Plata. 

• JOHANN MORITZ RUGENDAS, PORTRAIT OF MARÍA SÁNCHEZ DE MENDEVILLE, 1845 OIL ON CANVAS 

[ EN 711 ]

PASSPORT HOLDER OF COLONEL HILARIO ASCASUBI 

Ascasubi was one of the main exponents of gauchesca literature. Exiled in Montevideo after having fled from the prison imposed on him by Rosism, he fought against Rosas militarily and through verses with which he tried to discredit him among the popular classes. He was the author of La Refalosa, a poem telling a story of a Mazorca man who threatened a gaucho who was defending Montevideo. In 1852, he joined Urquiza’s army to attack Buenos Aires. 

• LEATHER 

[ EN 712 ]

DAGGER OF CHACHO PEÑALOZA 

Peñaloza fought under the command of Quiroga; both of them came from the Llanos de La Rioja. Afterwards, he opposed the dominance of Rosas’s Buenos Aires and fought in the Riojano army that was part of The Northern Coalition. When the coalition was defeated, he went to Chile, from where he commanded in 1842 and 1843 some troops that attacked the Confederation forces. In the end, he was defeated. 

Years later he would fight Buenos Aires again. 

• METAL, HANDLE MADE OF BONE 

[ EN 713 ]

MONOCLE OF ESTEBAN ECHEVERRÍA AND WHISTLE OF JOSÉ MÁRMOL 

These two writers migrated to Montevideo where they were part of the newsroom of the newspaper Muera Rosas [Die Rosas]. Echeverría was the first main exponent of the young “Romantics.” Before going into exile, he wrote El Matadero, a heavily anti-Rosas piece which is considered to be the first Argentinian tale. Meanwhile, in Montevideo, Mármol wrote Amalia, which was also critical of the Rosist society, set in the context of the “terror” in 1840. 

Amalia is known for being the first Rioplatense novel. 

• MONOCLE OF BRONZE AND CRYSTAL 
• IVORY WHISTLE 

[ EN 714 ]

NOTEBOOK AND PENCIL OF JUAN BAUTISTA ALBERDI 

Alberdi, from Tucumán, played a key role in organising Rosas’s enemies. Living in exile in Montevideo, he supported the French blockade in 1838 and wrote against Rosism in the press. He wrote plays such as El gigante Amapolas—a satire about Rosas—and he authored political pieces like Bases y puntos de partida para la organización política de la República Argentina [Bases and starting points for the political organisation of the Argentine Republic], published in Chile in 1852, which influenced the drafting of the National Constitution of 1853. This notebook was made in France, a country he admired. 

• IVORY, PAPER, FABRIC AND SILVER 

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