In 1884, the famous painter Juan Manuel Blanes, from Uruguay, is asked to create a portrait of José Artigas. There is only one drawing of his face, done in his old age so Blanes must imagine what he looked like by reading up on his ideas and learning about his life. Amongst the different materials he is given in order to "discover" Artigas' features, Blanes finds the notes of an old Spanish spy, Aníbal Larra, hired by the Argentine triumvir Manuel de Sarratea, to kill Artigas, the rebel chief who will not succumb to the dominance of Buenos Aires. At the time, Artigas was hiding out in Ayuí, to the north of what is known today as Uruguay.