An important figure in the history of modernism of the Rio de la Plata region, Figari was also well known as a lawyer, public defender, art theoretician, and writer. In 1925 Figari moved to Paris where he lived for nine years. Taken as a whole, Figari's work may be seen as a visual chronicle--part fanciful, part historic, but never folkloristic-- of Uruguayan customs and traditions, especially those of the late 19th century.