Early Life, Family and Training

Guillermo Roux was born in September 1929 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His early years were shaped by the presence of his father, Raúl Roux, a well-known Uruguayan painter. As a child, he spent time watching his father work, observing the way lines and colors were applied to the page. This early exposure to the mechanics of drawing and illustration helped define his own path toward a life of visual creation.

His formal training began in the studios of Buenos Aires. He studied at the Buenos Aires School of Fine Arts until 1948. During this period, he also attended the Escuela Manuel Belgrano, where he spent three years developing his technical skills. By 1948, he had graduated from the Escuela Manuel Belgrano, having completed his studies there.

Life and Activity in Rome and Argentina

In 1956, Roux left Argentina for Rome. He spent several years in the city, working within Umberto Nonni's bottega. His days were spent as an assistant, focusing on the practicalities of restoration and decoration projects. This period of labor in Europe provided a foundation of technical discipline, observing the way light and pigment interact on old surfaces.

By 1960, he returned to Argentina. He eventually settled in the Jujuy Province, moving away from the central bustle of Buenos Aires. In this landscape, he balanced his own painting with the work of teaching art to others. His life in the north was marked by this dual commitment to his own practice and the instruction of his students.

Technique, Style and Artistic Themes

Roux’s hand moved through a wide range of media, from the delicate application of watercolors and collages to the heavy, structural demands of frescoes. He worked with a technical precision that drew from his time in Rome, utilizing tempera, glazes, and transparencies to build layers of color. His use of grisaille and the Renaissance-style application of verdaccio on primed surfaces shows a commitment to the physical mechanics of old-world painting. He did not rely on a single method, instead choosing the tool that best suited the specific texture he wanted to achieve.

His subjects often drifted into the surreal, pulling together disparate elements into a single composition. He found recurring interest in the figure of the harlequin and the presence of Italian actors, often placing them alongside still life arrangements or stark geometric shapes. There is a specific tension in how he handled these figures, sometimes stripping them down to minimal heads while dressing them in elaborate, detailed clothing. His work frequently touched upon legends, mysteries, and the vastness of astronomy, blending the human form with a sense of the unknown.

• La Ronda (1993)
• Cazador de Pumas (1962)
• La Ruleta Fatal

Major Commissions and Honors

Recognition for his work arrived on an international scale during the 1970s. In 1975, he earned his first international prize at the XIII São Paulo Art Biennial. This period of recognition continued into the following decade when he received the Konex Award in 1982, a distinction marking his standing within the Argentine cultural landscape.

His hand left a permanent mark on the architecture of Buenos Aires through large-scale decorative works. In 1991, he contributed one of four new frescoes to the cupola of the Galerías Pacífico shopping arcade during its reopening. This work placed his technical skill within a significant public space, moving his practice from the private studio to the city's shared environment.

The city eventually recognized his lifelong presence and contributions to its local identity. In 2007, he was named an Illustrious Citizen of Buenos Aires. This honor followed a long career of teaching, illustrating, and painting that spanned several decades and multiple continents.