Gallegos, Luna - self-portrait

This miniature portrait is signed "Luna" for Luna Alston de Gallegos (1881-1978), a miniature painter from Argentina. The portrait is one of a group of five of members of her family, but when purchased the sitter was unidentified.

However, by a unique chance a miniature of her painted by Walter Ferris Biggs and dated 1900 was purchased about four years later and the likeness proves that this miniature by Luna is in fact a self-portrait.

Luna Alston de Gallegos was born in Buenos Aires in 1881, the daughter Dr John Alston, a Scottish doctor who came to Argentina in 1868, and of Carlota Luna, from Uruguay. She received lessons from Walter Biggs and she specialized in miniatures.

During the early part of her career, she had her first exhibition which was in 1916 together with her teacher, Walter Ferris Biggs, and another artist.

In 1929 she had another solo exhibition, by which time her work was well known.

She painted nearly four hundred miniatures and almost all are signed Luna.

Luna Alston de Gallegos died in Buenos Aires, July 29, 1978, only three years short of reaching her 100th birthday. 523