In 1849, because the elder Pueyrredón was seriously ill, the entire family returned to Buenos Aires. The general died the following year at the family estate in San Isidro. Although the young Prilidiano, already an engineer, was a peculiar figure by the standards of the "porteño" aristocracy, and although rumours abounded about his immorality, he managed to gain favour with the aristocracy by painting their portraits. His subjects included Manuelita, the daughter of Rosas, whom he painted in 1851, shortly before the caudillo's defeat at Caseros. He was the first painter in Buenos Aires to paint nudes, of which two, "La siesta" and "El baño", survive to this day and are housed in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.