A young painter from Trujillo has recently arrived in Lima from Europe. This individual stands out for his undeniable merits amongst the phalanx of American dreamers who have moved to the great centers of art. His name is Macedonio de la Torre. He comes from a traditional family. He wanted to be a sculptor, so he moved to Dresde. It was there that his dreams turned towards painting. He studied; he studied much in museums and nature. He left for Italy. He continued to study. He then went to France. In Paris, he got rid of baggage. And he studied, and studied, and studied some more. His capacity for work is on a par with his untiring spiritual restlessness. Macedonio de la Torre knows that the path to art is rough on the constitution. He knows this because the noble rectitude of his sharp intellect told him so. He has learned this through personal experience. However, he is not willing to go backwards or stay in the same place. He has faith in the results of his willingness and constant fervor.
He has not come with his sights on exhibiting. Personal affairs of another nature have brought him here; moreover, as he has brought some of his works with him, those of us that have seen his work tried to persuade him to diffuse it. The artist has conceded to these demands and the public in Lima will see De la Torre´s paintings next week at the Academia Alzedo’s exhibition rooms.
Macedonio de la Torre utilizes pictorial procedures and techniques from very diverse classes. He tries out everything, and what is most unusual is that he is good at all of them. However, from my point of view, what stands out the most is when he expresses himself by using impressionist means. He, like Le Sinander, understands this tendency. His palette, more than colorist, is luminist. He feels the value of blending and understands his preferences for Paris and its hidden corners that serve as topics for the grays that he manages with refined sensitivity.
Macedonio de la Torre will be a welcome surprise. He is outside of the typical framework here. He is unconcerned about anything other than the formation of his own artistic personality; he has never sought out the success that others find based upon complaints or futile extravagances. De la Torre is modern; he feels modern and speaks modern…. he does not incur in the plebian tendency to disregard the value of work accumulated over centuries and knows that there is nothing truly new under the sun. His exhibition should interest everyone given that we will all feel content to welcome an artist of great talent who was born in our country.
Lima, March 1930