The period between 1941 and 1950 marked a decisive transformation in the life and career of Alicia Penalba (1913–1982). Originally trained as a painter and draughtswoman in Argentina, Penalba gradually moved towards sculpture, eventually establishing herself in Paris, where she encountered the European modernist avant-garde.

These years represented more than a geographical change. They were the beginning of a new artistic identity, one that would lead her towards abstract sculpture and the distinctive organic forms for which she became internationally recognised.

1941–1944: Returning to Art Studies in Buenos Aires

During the early 1940s, Alicia Penalba was developing her artistic interests in Argentina. After an interruption in her formal education, she returned to the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes Ernesto de la Cárcova in Buenos Aires in 1944.

Her studies included painting and drawing, and she was particularly influenced by artists such as Paul Cézanne, the Fauves, Lino Enea Spilimbergo and the Mexican muralist tradition.

This period strengthened her understanding of composition, colour and artistic expression. Although painting remained her principal medium, the foundations of her later sculptural approach were beginning to take shape.

1947: Recognition as a Painter in Argentina

In 1947, Penalba achieved an important milestone in her artistic career. Her painting Del barrio (From the Neighborhood) received an incentive award at the XXXVII Salón Nacional de Artes Plásticas in Buenos Aires.

That same year, she obtained her advanced teaching diploma in painting, receiving outstanding grades and congratulations from the examination board.

Her achievements demonstrated her growing recognition within Argentina's art community. Nevertheless, Penalba was increasingly interested in exploring new artistic techniques and possibilities beyond traditional painting.

1948: Alicia Penalba Moves to Paris

The year 1948 became a turning point in Alicia Penalba's biography. Her painting Madre (Mother) received an acquisition prize at the XXXVIII Salón Nacional de Artes Plásticas.

Shortly afterwards, she was awarded a scholarship from the French government to continue her artistic education in Paris. At the age of 35, she left Argentina and travelled to France, arriving between October and November 1948.

Once in Paris, she enrolled at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, where she studied printmaking and lithography.

The move exposed her to a completely different artistic environment. Paris was an important centre of modern art, bringing together artists, sculptors and intellectuals from across Europe and beyond.

For Penalba, this new environment offered the opportunity to reconsider her artistic direction and experiment with different materials and techniques.

1949: Discovering Sculpture in Paris

In 1949, Alicia Penalba began an important new chapter in her artistic development.

She participated as an Argentine delegate in the World Congress of Peace in Paris, where she encountered prominent cultural figures, including Pablo Picasso, Paul Éluard and Louis Aragon.

During this period, she settled in Montrouge, just outside Paris, where she established her first studio on Avenue Jean-Jaurès.

She also received the Médaille de Gravure pour les Élèves Étrangers, recognising her achievements in printmaking.

One of the most significant developments of 1949 was her introduction to sculpture at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. She initially worked in the studio of Spanish sculptor Horacio García Condoy, where she learned new sculptural techniques and processes.

At the same time, she studied the work of several influential modern sculptors: Constantin Brancusi – known for simplified, refined sculptural forms, Hans Arp – recognised for organic abstraction, Alberto Giacometti – known for expressive and elongated figures, Antoine Pevsner – associated with Constructivist sculpture and Wilhelm Lehmbruck – known for expressive modernist sculpture. She also met fellow sculptors Étienne-Martin, François Stahly and Étienne Hajdu, forming professional relationships that would continue throughout her career.

By the end of this period, Penalba had made a decisive commitment to sculpture, leaving much of her earlier painting practice behind.

1950: Studying Sculpture with Ossip Zadkine

Around 1950, Alicia Penalba began studying with the Russian-born sculptor Ossip Zadkine (1888–1967), one of the important figures in modern European sculpture. Working in Zadkine's studio gave her the opportunity to deepen her technical understanding of three-dimensional art and develop her own sculptural language.

She was particularly interested in the relationship between volume, space and organic form. Her growing appreciation for abstract sculpture, combined with the influence of artists such as Brancusi and Hans Arp, helped shape her new artistic direction. This period marked the transition towards the abstract and non-figurative sculptures that would later define her work.

Although her first fully abstract sculpture is generally dated to 1951, the foundations of this artistic transformation were established during her Paris years between 1949 and 1950.

The Importance of the years between 1941 and 1950 in Alicia Penalba's Artistic Career

The decade from 1941 to 1950 was fundamental to Alicia Penalba's development as an artist.

What began as a period of artistic education and recognition in Argentina gradually evolved into a complete transformation of her creative practice in France.

Three developments were particularly important: Artistic education: Her return to formal studies in Buenos Aires strengthened her foundations in painting and drawing. International exposure: Her move to Paris in 1948 introduced her to new artistic movements, techniques and influential modern artists. The transition to sculpture: Her experiences at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and in the studios of Horacio García Condoy and Ossip Zadkine encouraged her to pursue sculpture as her primary artistic medium.

By 1950, Penalba was moving towards an entirely new artistic identity. The following years would see her develop the abstract sculptural forms, monumental compositions and distinctive organic vocabulary that established her reputation as one of the important women sculptors of twentieth-century modern art.