Enrique Larreta (1875-1961) was a prominent Argentine writer, diplomat, and art collector. He was born in Buenos Aires into an elite family and studied law at the University of Buenos Aires. Although he began his career as a lawyer, he soon developed a keen interest in literature and diplomacy, which led him to live in various locations, including Madrid, where he was appointed Argentina’s Plenipotentiary Minister in 1910. His novel, La gloria de don Ramiro, reflects Larreta’s deep admiration for Spanish culture, a sentiment that also greatly influenced his private collection.
Larreta had a particular interest in Spanish Renaissance and Baroque art, acquiring pieces during his stays in Europe, especially in France and Spain between 1910 and 1916. To build his collection, he engaged with numerous antique dealers, including José de Arteche, Lafora Calatayud, Luis Orlando, and Henry Bégué, among others (Nobilia, 2018). Upon his death in 1961, his heirs sold his residence to the Buenos Aires City Council and donated the majority of his father’s collection to prevent its dispersal. Thus, in 1962, the Enrique Larreta Museum of Spanish Art was inaugurated (Nobilia, 2018).