Izquierdo, María (1902–1955)
Izquierdo, María (1902–1955)
María Izquierdo (b. 1902; d. 2 December 1955), Mexican artist. María Izquierdo was largely self-taught. In the early 1930s she was the companion of Rufino Tamayo, with whom she shared stylistic affinities. Izquierdo's works include self-portraits, in which her Indian features are proudly evident, still lifes, and landscapes. "My greatest strength," she said about her work, "is that my painting reflects the Mexico that I know and love…. In the world of art, a painting is an open window to the human imagination." Along with her populism, she celebrated her passion for color, texture, and careful composition while maintaining a delight in spontaneity. Her palette changed over time from more obscure tones to contrasting and rich ones close to those of textiles, ceramics, and lacquered folk ware. Despite her often brilliant use of color, there is a tragic or melancholy undertone to many works along with a wry humor.
See alsoTamayo, Rufino.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Miguel Cervantes, ed., María Izquierdo (1986): Raquel Tibol, "María Izquierdo," in Latin American Art 1 (Spring 1989): 23-25.
Additional Bibliography
Poniatowska, Elena. Las siete cabritas. México, D.F.: Ediciones Era, 2000.
Vaughan, Mary K., and Stephen E. Lewis, eds. The Eagle and the Virgin: Nation and Cultural Revolution in Mexico, 1920–1940. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.
Shifra M. Goldman