painting

The Mona Lisa Curse

A documentary about the commercialization of the art world by Robert Hughes.  12 parts.

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Check it Out: Creations by Kai Margarida-Ramirez de Arellano

Billie Holiday papel picado by Kai

My friend Kai now has a website where she can share her talents with us. Here is my favorite from her jazz series.   I am so glad to be able to see her new work and the ongoing evolution of her papel picado.  And, I plan to keep any eye on her blog as well. 

Angel Zarraga

las futbolistas

Las Futbolistas - Angel Zarraga

I saw this painting in the modern art museum in Mexico City a couple years ago.  I stood there and stared at it for a long time, looked at everthing else in the wing, came back and looked at it again.  Everything about this painting seemed perfect to me. The color of the jerseys.  The brush strokes on the women's arms and legs.  Next time I go to Mexico City I'll probably go back to look at it again.

Unfortunately you can't see its finer points in this tiny reproduction (snagged from here), but you can kind of get an idea of what the painting is about.

Here's another Zarraga that gets more (undeserved) attention on the web:

Self-portrait with model

Self portrait with model

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Bernard Fleetwood-Walker

Bernard Fleetwood-Walker

Amity (1933).  An interesting commentary on this painting.  Bernard Fleetwood Walker's web site contains a huge, annotated catalog of his work.

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Kitchen scene/ En la Cocina

Kitchen scene, Lee Russell 1939
Kitchen scene Taos, New Mexico.  Lee Russell, 1939

During the Depression the Farm Security Administration assembled a team of photographers for the federally sponsored Farm Security Administration documentation project (for example, Dorothea Lange). Another member of the team was Lee Russell who worked extensively in New Mexico, from Taos to Pie Town. More FSA photos here and here.

Much of the work of New Mexico artist Edward Gonzales focuses on nostalgic scenes of daily life and Hispanic cultural traditions in New Mexico.  I thought that stove looked familiar!
En La Cocina, Edward Gonzales
En la Cocina, Edward Gonzales

Julio Romero de Torres

La Chiquita Piconera by Julio Romero de Torres
La Chiquita Piconera by Julio Romero de Torres, Spanish artist (b. 1874 - d. 1930)

This is one of Romero de Torres' most famous paintings and was featured an a 5 peseta Spanish stamp (and often copied.) Julio Romero de Torres was a big deal--he and his art were on the 1950s era 100 peseta bill and there is a popular folk song about him.  Unfortunately, there are no books in English on Romero de Torres but you can see more of his work here, here and here.

La Fuensanta by Julio Romero de Torres
La Fuensanta  (the work featured on the 100 peseta note)

The model in both paintings above is María Teresa López.  She began modeling for him as a child and by 14 Julio was obsessed with his "muse".  María was bitter about how modeling and being in such famous paintings ruined her life.  No one ever believed that she was not the artist's lover. Her first marriage lasted 2 years and ended badly. Her husband tried to prostitue her and when she resisted he beat her.  She never remarried. (Story with quotes en español.)

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Lisa Schmidt

Esther Pearl Watson

Esther Pearl Watson

Esther Pearl Watson's "Before the Landlord Finds Us."  I love everything about this painting.

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Beryl Cook

Beryl Cook - Strip Poker

I guess I'm late to the Beryl Cook party?

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Josep de Togores

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