Juan Manuel Blanes Museum, Montevideo

Juan Manuel Blanes was born in Montevideo in 1830. He was an accomplished portraitist and landscape artist. He achieved fame with his "social" painting, "Episode of Yellow Fever," in 1871. He was celebrated for his depictions of historical events and heroes, especially his portrait of Jose de San Martin, the hero of Argentine independence.

Blanes died at the age of 70 in Pisa, Italy, in the house of a friend. In 1930, the city of Montevideo named the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts in his memory. The museum is located in the Palladio Villa (Palladio House) in Prado Park on the banks of Miguelete Creek.

The house was designed and built in 1870 by Uruguayan architect Juan Alberto Capurro for The Italian Consul, Juan Bautista Roffo. The museum was renovated in 1929 by architect Eugenio Baroffio. He expanded the building but left the eclectic facade intact.

Juan Manuel Blanes Museum holds Uruguayan art dating from the beginnings of the nation until the present day. The permanent collection includes works of Juan Manuel Blanes, Pedro Figari, Rafael Barradas, Jose Cuneo, and Carlos Gonzales.

Behind the Museum is the Japanese Garden of Montevideo. It was donated in 2001 by Japanese Princess Sayako. The museum is open every day, from 12 pm to 5:45 pm, from Tuesday through Sunday. There is no admission charge.