In early 1900, the Chilean politician, lawyer and banker, Augusto Matte Pérez, ended his diplomatic work in France and returned to Chile, bringing back with him more than a hundred personal objects that were in his residence in Paris. Among these possessions, stands out an important art collection formed mainly by paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs of European and Chilean artists, including some of his daughter’s works, the well-known sculptor Rebeca Matte Bello. The following article seeks to investigate the dual political-cultural figure of Matte and, specially, his role as patron and protector of important national artists of the period. For this purpose, this text analyzes his collection and the process behind the selection of the works, allowing us to approach collecting practices and the purchase of art of the Chilean elite at the end of 19th century.