Angels, Tombs & Virgins in Recoleta
By Andrew Gibson
9 July 2007
Every time that I travel to Argentina I like to visit the magnificent, flamboyant and elitist Cementerio de Recoleta (Recoleta Cemetery) in Buenos Aires.
Why is Recoleta so special? It's a burial ground for the most influential and powerful politicians, artists, scientists, sportsmen and financiers of Buenos Aires, and military heroes who helped in the struggle for Argentina's independence. It's expensive. They say it's cheaper to live the good life in Buenos Aires than to be buried in Recoleta. It's also exclusive. So exclusive that Evita Peron is buried there and her husband General Juan Peron, one of Argentina's most famous presidents, isn't. Carlos Gardel, Argentina's most famous tango singer, didn't make it to Recoleta either (both are buried in the cemetery of Chacarita).
The necropolis is a mini city within a city, with giant mausoleums built along avenues like houses in a street. The mausoleums are amazing creations built from granite and marble. Each one is different, some fairly simple and others lavish and ornate and built in a wide variety of styles including Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Neoclassical, Secessionist, Neo-Byzantine and Neo-Babylonian.
Many of the mausoleums are decorated with statues and crosses, and there are countless statues of angels and the Virgin Mary. Some of the statues are bigger than a person. Others are mounted on top of the mausoleums, pointing at or staring towards the sky.
There's also something special about the location of Recoleta Cemetery. It's built in the heart of Recoleta, one the more expensive and exclusive neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires. It's enclosed by high brick walls, above which from outside it's possible to see the tops of the mausoleums and statues. There's a large and busy handicrafts market on the green lawns outside the cemetery at weekends, sometimes with live music. There are restaurants and bars and shops full of designer clothes and furniture nearby. The Basilica Nuestra Senora del Pilar, a large and beautiful gleaming white church (one of the few remaining colonial buildings in the capital) is right next door to the cemetery's gates.
Of course, the real reason that I love the cemetery is for photography. Coincidentally, every time that I've been has been in winter, and the low light and cold air just adds to the slightly surreal atmosphere. Every time that I go I see something new to photograph and new ways of taking photos. The statues, mausoleums and crosses are great for black and white photography. I like to look for tonal contrasts and textures on the surfaces of the mausoleums and statues. I also like to photograph the statues and crosses semi-silhouetted against the bright sky. If I still used a darkroom (rather than Photoshop and a computer) I would print the photos using the lith process. I try to emulate the look by boosting the contrast and giving the photos a sepia tone.
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