Look straight ahead for a marble sculpture at the center of a fountain - it’s a figure of a young man crouched low, stretching forward to drink from water flowing right out of a rock.
Now, let’s soak up the story of “El sediento” - or “The Thirsty.” Imagine Buenos Aires back in 1914: the city is evolving, and tucked near busy Callao Avenue, this very spot gets treated to a new artistic treasure. Crafted by Luisa Isabel Isella de Motteau, one of Argentina’s earliest and most talented women sculptors, the marble boy before you quenching his thirst is not just thirsty for water, but thirsty for life! Isella started her adventure in far-off Monza, Italy, sharpened her skills in Chile where she won gold for her talents, and then headed to Paris thanks to a government scholarship and a little help from Carlos Pellegrini (yes, the same name you’ll spot at our next stop).
She rocked the art world in Paris, winning a gold medal in 1909, but back home, her sculpture’s debut in the Plaza Rodríguez Peña was bittersweet-war was breaking out in Europe, and she was stuck in Paris, missing her own big day! There was no party, just quiet admiration from afar. And, thanks to some serious budget cuts caused by the war, seashells and seaweed details meant for that original Art Nouveau flair got left out. Even the fountain basin was lowered-so if the young guy seems a tad close to the ground, now you know why!
Isella finally came home in 1919, dedicating her life to teaching art. Over the decades, vandals, time, and dry spells took their toll. The fountain dried up, the marble gathered grime-but don’t worry, in 2001, it was lovingly restored, letting our thirsty friend drink-and charm passersby-once again.
