Teófilo Castillo

Teófilo Castillo Guas or Guash (2 October 1857, Carhuaz – 7 December 1922, Tucumán) was a Peruvian Impressionist painter, art critic and photographer.

Early life and education Teófilo Castillo Guas, or Guash, was born on 2 October 1857, in Carhuaz in the Ancash Region, Peru.

He studied at the Seminario de Lima, then continued his studies in Spain and France. Upon returning to Peru, he held an exhibition of his works that were inspired by the Peruvian Traditions of Ricardo Palma.

Career In 1888, he moved to Buenos Aires, where he was married and worked as a photographer in addition to painting. He went back to Lima in 1906 and opened his own studio.

He was an enthusiastic promoter for the establishment of the Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes (now National Superior Autonomous School of Fine Arts, Lima), and he recommended Daniel Hernández Morillo as the most qualified person to become the school's first Director. Hernández received the position, but Castillo was not even invited to join the staff. Disappointed and disillusioned, he left Peru for good in 1920.

He settled in Tucumán, where he became editor of the magazine Sol y Nieve.