Birth name Julio Hector Silva
Born January 16, 1930
Concordia (Argentina)
Death April 4, 2020
Paris (France) or Clamart (France)
Argentine and French nationality
Painter and sculptor
Julio Silva (Concordia, Entre Ríos, 1930 – Paris, April 4, 2020) was a
French painter and sculptor born in Argentina. He settled in Paris
(France) in 1955, and became a French citizen in 1967. He illustrated
several covers of Julio Cortázar’s works, including Hopscotch.

He was also a collector of African art and primitive art since 1955. He
worked frequently between Carrara and Paris since 1972.

A friend of Julio Cortázar since 1955, Silva made the cover drawing for
Las armas secretas (1959), and later in 1963, he designed the cover
composition for the first edition of Cortázar’s work, Rayuela. Other
collaborations were the covers of Todos los fuegos el fuego (1966),
Model to assemble from 1967, Around the day in eighty worlds and
Territories in 1978. He created a series of lithographs to illustrate
Los Discourses Pinchajeta, lithographs that also formed an exhibition
independent.

He was the author of the sculpture next to the grave of Julio Cortázar
in the Montparnasse cemetery, the grave was the work of the Argentine
sculptor Luis Tomasello. The sculpture was chosen by Cortázar himself,
De Silva’s friend.

In 2013 the correspondence maintained over several years between Silva
and Cortázar was compiled and published in the book The Last Combat.
Julio Cortázar-Julio Silva together with other works written by Cotázar
and illustrated by Silva —The Discourses of Pinchajeta and Silvalandia—.
This book completed the series The last round in which the
collaborations of both artists are narrated.

He announced his passing in Paris on April 5, 2020. He was 90 years
old.

Monumental sculptures
1972 Dame-Lune: White marble from Carrara Sagéco – Paris
1973 Génie du Charbon: White marble from Carrara Ces Corrieres, Pas de
Calais
Alice au pays du marbre: Eight sculptures, La Perraliére, Villeurbanne,
Rhone
Chenille: Serpentine marble
Le Messager: Yellow marble from Siena
La Chouette: White Carrara marble
Flamant: Pink marble from Portugal
Igor: Red marble
Colombe: White Carrara marble
Fleur talking et oiseau mouillé: Serpentine marble
1976 Damoizelle oiseau Ris-Orangis
Leçon d’envol: White marble from Carrara Ris-Orangis, Essonne
Orubourus: White marble from Carrara Collège Technique, St. Cyr l’école
1977 Dame-Lune: White marble from Carrara Esplanada de la Défense, Paris
1979 Pyegemalion: Pink marble from Portugal
Cavalle: Pink Marble from Portugal Forum des Halles, Paris
1980 Flamme d’eau: White Carrara marble, RER Lognes
1989 Envolée: ten birds in polyester, École maternell