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Your Guide to the 9 Most Famous Antonio Berni Paintings
Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 9 works by Antonio Berni in our catalogue
In short
Antonio Berni's best-known piece is Ramona and the Old Man (1962). Next on the list are First Steps (1936) and Colla Market or Andean Mountain Market (1936). We have 9 works by Antonio Berni in our catalogue; this guide picks out the 9 best known, with the year, the museum and the story of each piece.
1905 – 1981, Rosario
Most works: National Museum of Fine Arts
The 10 Antonio Berni paintings to know first
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Colla Market or Andean Mountain Market
This mural is from a key period in Berni’s production that dates from Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros’s visit to Buenos Aires in 1933. This period witnessed a strengthening of Berni’s vision of an art fully committed to social reality. As such, it partakes of Berni’s “Nuevo Realismo”; it is also clear evidence of his Americanist and Indianist concerns. Though those concerns may not have informed the themes of many…
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The Lunch
In the sprawling, monumental canvas of The Lunch, we are invited into a moment that feels both profoundly intimate and grandly cinematic. Created in 1971 by the master of Argentine social realism, Delesio Antonio Berni, this work captures a large family gathering that transcends a mere meal to become a celebration of life itself. The scene is teeming with movement; children and adults occupy a long dining table laden with…
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Susana and the Old Man
In 1931, Berni returned to the country after almost six years in Europe, where he had begun work on a series of paintings inspired by French surrealism and the Italian metaphysical school. The next year, he exhibited a group of those works, which made use of magazine clippings, postcards, and photographs, at the Asociación Amigos del Arte, an institution with great influence on the local scene. Viewers and critics alike…
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Woman in Red Sweater
In the mid-nineteen-thirties, Antonio Berni’s work alternated between large scenes tied to social concerns (
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The Open Door
The surrealistic work Antonio Berni produced between 1931 and 1932 account for the influence by Giorgio de Chirico’s metaphysical art. In Berni’s paintings and collages there is a hint of Italian piazzas—with their arcades and forced perspectives—, of solitary statues, mannequins, lengthy shadows and twilight skies, and the factories, chimneys, and modern trains coexisting with spectrums from the past. Berni’s interest in late re-elaborations by the Italian artist—such as the…
Where you can see Antonio Berni's paintings
The 4 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Antonio Berni | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Museum of Fine Arts |
Buenos Aires | 1 | First Steps |
 Colección de Arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat |
Buenos Aires | 1 | The Lunch |
 Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art |
Buenos Aires | 1 | Juanito Laguna Brings a Meal to his Father, a Metalworker |
 Museum of Latin American Art |
Long Beach | 1 | Title translation: The Matador |
Decade by decade: the best-known Antonio Berni piece of each
Works per decade
Pick a decade to see its standout piece.
1970s
The Lunch
Age 65 – 74
1 work this decade
In the sprawling, monumental canvas of The Lunch, we are invited into a moment that feels both profoundly intimate and grandly cinematic. Created in 1971 by the master of Argentine social realism, Delesio Antonio Berni, this work captures a large family gathering that transcends a mere meal to become a celebration of life itself. The scene is teeming with movement; children and adults occupy a long dining table laden with…
Antonio Berni: quick answers about the paintings
What is Antonio Berni's best-known painting?See the answer
Top of the list is Ramona and the Old Man (1962). Right behind it: First Steps (1936) and Colla Market or Andean Mountain Market (1936).
What age was Antonio Berni when creating Ramona and the Old Man?See the answer
57 years old. Antonio Berni was born in 1905, and Ramona and the Old Man dates from 1962.
How many works by Antonio Berni are in your catalogue?See the answer
We have 9 works by Antonio Berni in our catalogue, dated 1931 to 1971.
In which museums can you see Antonio Berni's famous works?See the answer
You'll find most of them in National Museum of Fine Arts (Buenos Aires), Colección de Arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat (Buenos Aires) and Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art (Buenos Aires). The museum list above has the full breakdown.
When did Antonio Berni make the most famous pieces?See the answer
In 1930s, more than any other time: 5 of the 9 pieces on this page date from then, First Steps among them.
What are Antonio Berni's first and last famous pieces?See the answer
The earliest piece here is Susana and the Old Man (1931); the most recent is The Lunch (1971).
Antonio Berni's story
The Soul of Argentine Realism: The Life and Legacy of Antonio Berni
Delesio Antonio Berni stands as a monumental figure in the landscape of Argentine art, embodying the profound spirit and conviction of Nuevo Realismo—a movement that sought to confront social injustices with unflinching honesty. Born in Rosario, Argentina, on May 14, 1905, Berni’s artistic journey was marked by an unwavering dedication to portraying the realities of everyday life, particularly those experienced by marginalized communities. His legacy continues to resonate through powerful canvases and enduring influence, serving as a bridge between the avant-garde experiments of Europe and the visceral social struggles of his homeland.
Berni's formative years were steeped in intellectual curiosity and engagement with socialist ideals. He pursued studies at Rosario University, immersing himself in philosophy and literature—influences that would profoundly shape his artistic vision. His early training was surprisingly tactile; in 1914, he became an apprentice at a stained glass company, a period that likely instilled in him a deep appreciation for texture and material. Recognizing the transformative potential of art as a tool for social critique, Berni embarked on a path dedicated to capturing the struggles and aspirations of ordinary Argentinians. This commitment fueled his early explorations into collage and mural painting, establishing him as an innovator within the burgeoning Nuevo Realismo movement.
A Journey Through Europe and the Birth of New Realism
The mid-20th century witnessed significant transformations in Argentina’s socio-economic landscape—industrialization accelerated, exacerbating inequalities and leaving many vulnerable populations behind. Berni’s artistic development was deeply influenced by his travels to Europe, funded by prestigious scholarships. In Spain, he absorbed the vibrant energy of masters like Joaquín Sorolla, while his time in Paris brought him into contact with the revolutionary workshops of André Lhote and Othon Friesz. During this period, he navigated the complex intersections of Metaphysical painting and Surrealism, studying the enigmatic works of Giorgio de Chirico and René Magritte.
However, it was upon his return to Argentina that Berni truly found his voice. He rejected the purely abstract formalism gaining ground globally in favor of a more visceral engagement with the human condition. Nuevo Realismo emerged as his direct response to societal change—a modern, heterodox version of realism that differed from both 19th-century traditions and the rigid social realism seen in the Soviet Union. He utilized bold colors and dynamic compositions to convey narratives of hardship and resilience, combining meticulous observation with expressive brushwork to illuminate uncomfortable truths about the industrializing world.
The Iconography of Struggle: Juanito Laguna and Ramona Montiel
Perhaps Berni’s most enduring achievement lies in his creation of urban archetypes that have become etched into the popular imagination. Through his masterful use of collage, he breathed life into characters that represented the very heart of the Argentine working class. His most famous series, Juanito Laguna, utilizes found materials—scraps of cloth, wood, and industrial detritus—to depict a young boy living in the poverty-stricken outskirts of Buenos Aires. This technique was not merely aesthetic; it was symbolic, as the very textures of the artwork mirrored the discarded remnants of the industrial era that shaped Juanito's life.
Alongside Juanito, Berni introduced Ramona Montiel, a character representing a different facet of urban survival. Through these figures, Berni explored themes of:
- Social Inequality: The stark contrast between the growing industrial wealth and the surrounding poverty.
- Materiality as Narrative: Using actual refuse and collage to tell stories of waste and reconstruction.
- Human Resilience: Finding dignity and complex emotion within the struggles of the marginalized.