Pedro Figari was born in 1861. Although he showed an interest in art during his childhood, most of his life was devoted to the practice of law. In 1886, he received a degree in law. His position as a defense counsel for the poor exposed him to many social issues that most likely influenced his art later on. During the same year in which he received his degree, Figari studied under Godofredo Sommavilla, an academically-trained Italian painter, married, and went to France. It was there that he was exposed to Post-Impressionism, which also greatly influenced his art. “On his return to Uruguay he became actively involved in journalism, law and politics as well as fostering the creation of the Escuela de Bellas Artes. […] He was a member of the Uruguayan Parliament, president of the Ateneo of Montevideo and director of the Escuela Nacional de Artes y Oficios.”

It was not until 1921, at the age of 60, that Figari devoted himself completely to painting. He moved to Buenos Aires and left behind the Italian style that he had adopted earlier in his career. Here, he “created figurative compositions as arrangements of colour, reconstructing rather than documenting the Uruguayan scene; the geography, gaucho life, the celebrations, symbolic rituals and carnivals of the local black community.” When he returned to Paris in 1925, he continued to paint this subject matter from memory, which brought him recognition as a painter. His work was also part of the art competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

In 1995, the Figari Award was established. Named for Pedro Figari, it is given annually to recognize Uruguayan visual artists. Since 2010 it has been administered by the Museo Figari [es], a museum in Montevideo also named in his honor.