Carmen Aldunate, the Chilean painter whose work combined feminist commentary with a distinctive, pre-Renaissance-inspired style, died on September 25, 2026. She was 86. Born Carmen Zita Aldunate Salas in Viña del Mar in 1940, she became known for her association with “ilustratismo perfilista prerrenacentista,” a profile-based illustration style rooted in early European art.
Her paintings often centered on the human figure, especially women’s faces, which she used to create psychologically charged images marked by irony and humor. Aldunate studied at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the University of Chile before continuing her training at the University of California, Davis.