Retrato de Don Alejandro Díaz

Executed in oil, the work employs chiaroscuro to model the figure, contrasting illuminated areas of the uniform and face against the deep shadows of the backdrop. Precise brushwork defines the buttons, gold trim, and belt buckle, while broader, softer strokes suggest the atmospheric sky. The realist treatment reflects Pueyrredón’s commitment to depicting everyday subjects with fidelity.

The painting belongs to the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, where it has been displayed as part of the institution’s holdings of 19th‑century Argentine art. Its acquisition by the museum helped to preserve an early example of the nation’s emerging artistic identity.

Prilidiano Pueyrredón, one of Argentina’s first recognized painters, combined his training in architecture and engineering with a realist visual language. Working during a period of nation‑building, he often chose subjects from daily life and the emerging middle class, documenting contemporary dress and social status through a disciplined, observational lens.