The history of Chilean painting has been narrated by various hands and writing forms. Its history shows us different emphases and models that are the result of the vision and sensitivity of those who have participated in its construction. This paper reviews the theoretical contribution of diverse actors from the mid-nineteenth century to the years after the military dictatorship established in the country in 1973. It examines the way in which critical writing has evolved and its displacement from the media to the academic environment. On the other hand, it revises the historiographic model established by the critical Antonio Romera and his subsequent reformulations.