An exploration of women's involvement in the Latin American Wars of Independence

Carmen Arriagada de Gutike

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: White

Events:

Connections:

Texts:
1837 - Letter to Juan Mauricio Rugendas expressing her love for him.
1838 - Letter to Juan Mauricio Rugendas expressing her views on the romantic poets.

Biography:
Born in Chile in 1807, she held tertulias. She married Eduardo Gutike, a Prussian official of the independence wars in 1820. She met the German painter, Mauricio Rugendas in Linares in 1835 and corresponded with him until 1851 with letters of impossible love (Guiñazú, & Martin, 32-37). Two of these letters are reproduced. She died in 1900. (Vergara Quiroz, 207-212).

She was related to Bernardo O'Higgins. Rugendas was in Chile from 1834-45. (Knaster, 15, 17.)

Vera Lamperein mentions over 1,000 copious romantic letters written to Rugendas and gives her year of death as 1890. She was a friend of Mercedes Marín, and criticised her support of Portales as Arriagada was politically opposed to Portales, especially his action in the war against the Peruvian/ Bolivian confederation. (Vera Lamperein, 47-48)

References:

Arambel Guinazu, Maria Cristina , Martin, Claire Emilie (2001) Las mujeres toman la palabra: Escritura feminina del siglo XIX. Volume: 1
Knaster, Meri (1977) Women in Spanish America: An Annotated Bibliography from Pre-Conquest to Contemporary Times
Vera Lamperein, Lina (1994) Presencia femenina en la literatura nacional: Una trayectoria apasionante 1750-1991
Vergara Quiroz, Sergio (1987) Cartas de mujeres en Chile, 1630-1885