Cabeza de Tehuana: Tehuantepec

Painting

-

Purdue University Galleries

Name/Title

Cabeza de Tehuana: Tehuantepec

Entry/Object ID

1995.12.01

Description

Portrait of a woman in profile facing left in front of a bisected yellow and orange background. Her features are outlines in simple black lines. She wears her hair up and has a red ribbon braided through. She wears gold hooped earrings and a gold and red garment with darker embroidery or decoration.

Type of Painting

Easel

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil, Oil on Canvas

Collection

Permanent

Acquisition

Accession

1995.12

Source or Donor

Edward Stowe Akeley

Credit Line

Courtesy of Edward Stowe Akeley

Source (if not Accessioned)

Edward Stowe Akeley

Made/Created

Artist

Diego Rivera

Date made

1930

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Signature

Location

lower left of image

Transcription

Diego Rivera 30

Material/Technique

Painted

Type

Sticker

Location

Back of frame, left

Transcription

Museum of Modern Art LOAN

Language

English

Material/Technique

Ink

Notes

In capital letters

Type

Sticker

Location

Back side of frame, left side

Transcription

COLUMBUS GALLERY OF FINE ARTS [?]5-58

Language

English

Material/Technique

Printed, Pencil

Notes

First part is printed, numbers are written on in pencil

Type

Previous Number

Location

Back side of frame, upper left corner

Transcription

1995.12.01

Material/Technique

Pen

Type

Label

Location

Back of frame, upper middle

Transcription

Property of Edward Akeley [?] Artist: Castellanos Rivera Tehuamtepes Woman

Material/Technique

Pencil

Notes

Castellanos is crossed out with a line through the center of the word Some of the writing is hidden behind a screwed in bar on the back of the frame

Type

Label

Location

Back of frame, upper center

Transcription

AKELEY Rivera - "HEAD OF WOMAN * TEHUANTEPEC" $750.00

Material/Technique

Printed, Pencil

Notes

AKELEY is written in pencil, the rest is typed on a typewriter

Type

Label

Location

Back of frame, upper right

Transcription

INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE BELLAS ARTES [?] Título..."CABEZA DE TEHUANA"., O- leo sobre tela. Pintado (en fecha).............. Medidas.........0.56 x 0.46 mts. Colección...COL. E. WEYHE GALLERY, de Nueva York, N.Y.

Language

Spanish

Translation

National Institution of Fine Arts Title: HEAD OF TEHUANA O- read on fabric Painted (on date) Measurements Collection

Material/Technique

Printed

Notes

The categories are printed directly on the sticker, the answers and details are printed with a typewriter in the lines provided (indicated by ...) Some of the information is covered by a bar screwed onto the back of the frame

Type

Receiver Marking, Sticker

Location

Back of frame, upper right corner

Transcription

Purdue University Galleries 1396 Physics Building [?]m. 204 West Lafayette, IN 46707-1396 (317) 494-3061 1995.12.01 Rivera, Diego Cabeza de Tehuana: [?]tepec

Material/Technique

Printed

Notes

Some of the information is covered by a bar screwed onto the back of the frame

Type

Inscription

Location

Back of frame, lower right corner

Transcription

57 15-P

Material/Technique

Ink

Notes

57 is enclosed in a circle

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Portrait

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Picture

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Painting

Nomenclature Class

Art

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Other Names and Numbers

Notes

Used by Professor and Mrs. Edward Akeley

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Dimensions are without the frame

Height

22-1/4 in

Width

18-1/4 in

Dimension Description

Dimensions with frame

Height

28-1/4 in

Width

24-1/4 in

Depth

2-3/4 in

Color

Orange, Yellow, Brown, Black, Green, Gray, Purple, Magenta

Provenance

Provenance Detail

Source Notes

Role

Information provided by source.

Notes

(E. Weyhe Books and Prints, New York) {1}; purchased before 1958 by Professor and Mrs. (Anna) Edward Stowe Akeley, West Lafayette, Indiana; donated to Purdue University Galleries in 1995 {1} Ascertained from a stamp on the reverse of the work. Erhard Weyhe (1883-1972) was a dealer and collector who operated a gallery and bookstore on Lexington Avenue starting in 1919. He was known for introducing avant-garde artists such as Alexander Calder and Diego Rivera to American audiences.

Copyright

Type of License

Exclusive License

Copyright Holder

Artist's Rights Society

Exhibition

25: A Selection Works from Purdue Galleries’ Permanent Collection (2024)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

Cabeza de Tehuana: Tehuantepec Diego Rivera (1886-1957) oil on canvas, 1930 Diego Rivera had a broad range of artistic styles and produced _a multitude of different works during the SO-year period in which he actively painted. He was also responsible for partnering and organizing with many other muralist artists, effectively launching their careers as well. Rivera 1s also known for his marriage and relationship with surrealist artist Frida Kahlo, another internationally renowned Mexican painter. At age 12, he enrolled in the Fine Arts Academy of San Carlos, and then went on to study in Europe under a government-sponsored scholarship. Rivera returned to Mexico in 1921 after studying surrealism and cubism overseas. Rivera began to draw on current political events and his ideological views to . inform his work, which centered around workers' rights, the Mexican and Russian Revolutions, and Marxist and communist beliefs. Although he was widely popular in the United States and internationally, his politics were not always embraced by Americans. Rivera once painted a . mural in Rockefeller Center, New York City, that was sympathetic to Lenin. This mural was destroyed for political reasons, but he later repainted it in Mexico City. However, many of his mural commissions can still be seen today across the U.S. Rivera remains a central figure in the muralist movement and the national identity of art in 20th-century Mexico. He blended social criticism and political activism, painting Mexico's history with wit, compassion, and realism. His paintings and murals mythologized the indigenous and working-class populace of Mexico, and provided a unifying national identity after a divisive and hard-won national revolution. Diego Rivera tenia una amplia gama de estilos artísticos y produjo una multitud de obras diferentes durante el periodo de 50 años en el que pinto activamente. También fue responsable de asociarse y organizarse con muchos otros artistas muralistas, lanzando sus carreras también. Rivera también es conocido por su matrimonio y relación con la artista surrealista Frida Kahlo, otra pintora mexicana de renombre internacional. A los 12 años, se matriculo en la academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos y luego paso a estudiar en Europa con una beca patrocinada por el gobierno. Rivera regreso a Mexico en 1921 después de estudiar surrealismo y cubismo en el extranjero. Rivera empezó a aprovechar los acontecimientos politicos actuales y sus puntos de vista ideológicos para informar su trabajo, que se centra en los derechos de los trabajadores, las revoluciones mexicana y rusa, y las creencias marxistas y comunistas. Aunque fue muy popular en los Estados Unidos e internacionalmente, su política no siempre fue aceptada por los estadounidenses. Rivera pinto una vez un mural en el Rockefeller Center en Nueva York que simpatizaba con Lenin. Este mural fue destruido por motivos politicos, pero luego lo repito en la Ciudad de Mexico. Sin embargo, muchos de sus encargos de murales todavfa se pueden ver hoy en los EE.UU. Rivera sigue siendo una figura central al movimiento muralista y la identidad nacional de del arte en Mexico del siglo XX. Combino la critica social y el activismo politico, pintando la historia de Mexico con ingenio, compasión, y realismo. Sus pinturas y murales mitificaron a la población indígena y de la clase obrera de Mexico y proporcionaron una identidad nacional después de una revolución nacional dividida y duramente ganada.

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

Alternate Label - ArtBridge The peace and tranquility of this side-profile portrait is conveyed by the simplicity of color and form. The sensitive handling of warm glowing colors expresses a sense of nostalgia and intimacy, qualities reflective of Rivera’s firm convictions about the essential human dignity of people. Perhaps his deep conviction for the betterment of Mexican people was best expressed in the large number murals he created throughout his life. In 1921, after studying art at the San Carlos Academy of Fine Arts in Mexico City and throughout Europe, Rivera took a prominent part in the revival of mural painting initiated by artists and sponsored by the government. Believing that art should serve the working people and be readily available to them, he concentrated on painting large frescoes that reflected the socialist spirit of the Mexican Revolution. In 1930, Rivera, an active communist, came to the United States, where he carried out several major commissions, including a mural for the Detroit Institute of Arts, and a fresco commissioned for the RCA building in Rockefeller Center, New York, both of which were ironically made possible by capitalist industry. The RCA fresco was ordered to be destroyed shortly after its completion because it included a portrait of the Soviet leader Lenin. Rivera’s ability to communicate humanistic themes through a simple, yet bold style has influenced and inspired generations of artists. His work can be viewed in museums and galleries throughout the world, including frescoes at the Ministry of Education in Mexico City and at the National Agricultural School in Chapingo. "

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

Cabeza de Tehuana: Tehuantepec Diego Rivera (1886-1957) oil on canvas, 1930 Diego Rivera had a broad range of artistic styles and produced _a multitude of different works during the SO-year period in which he actively painted. He was also responsible for partnering and organizing with many other muralist artists, effectively launching their careers as well. Rivera 1s also known for his marriage and relationship with surrealist artist Frida Kah lo, another internationally renowned Mexican painter. At age 12, he enrolled in the Fine Arts Academy of San Carlos, and then went on to study in Europe under a government-sponsored scholarship. Rivera returned to Mexico in 1921 after studying surrealism and cubism overseas. Rivera began to draw on current political events and his ideological views to . inform his work, which centered around workers' rights, the Mexican and Russian Revolutions, and Marxist and communist beliefs. Although he was widely popular in the United States and internationally, his politics were not always embraced by Americans. Rivera once painted a . mural in Rockefeller Center, New York City, that was sympathetic to Lenin. This mural was destroyed for political reasons, but he later repainted it in Mexico City. However, many of his mural commissions can still be seen today across the U.S. Rivera remains a central figure in the muralist movement and the national identity of art in 20th-century Mexico. He blended social criticism and political activism, painting Mexico's history with wit, compassion, and realism. His paintings and murals mythologized the indigenous and working-class populace of Mexico, and provided a unifying national identity after a divisive and hard-won national revolution. Diego Rivera tenia una amplia gama de estilos artisticos y produjo una multitud de obras diferentes durante el periodo de 50 aiios en el que pinto activamente. Tambien fue responsable de asociarse y organizarse con muchos otros artistas muralistas, lanzando sus carreras tambien. Rivera tambien es conocido por su matrimonio y relacion con la artista surrealista Frida Kahlo, otra pintora mexicana de renombre internacional. A los 12 afios, se matriculo en la academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos y luego paso a estudiar en Europa con una beca patrocinada por el gobierno. Rivera regreso a Mexico en 1921 despues de estudiar surrealismo y cubismo en el extranjero. Rivera empezo a aprovechar los acontecimientos politicos actuales y sus puntos de vista ideologicos para informar su trabajo, que se centra en los derechos de los trabajadores, las revoluciones mexicana y rusa, y las creencias marxistas y comunistas. Aunque fue muy popular en los Estados Unidos e internacionalmente, su politica no siempre fue aceptada por los estadounidenses. Rivera pinto una vez un mural en el Rockefeller Center en Nueva York que simpatizaba con Lenin. Este mural fue destruido por motivos politicos, pero luego lo repito en la Ciudad de Mexico. Sin embargo, muchos de sus encargos de murales todavfa se pueden ver hoy en los EE.UU. Rivera sigue siendo una figura central al movimiento muralista y la identidad nacional de del arte en Mexico del siglo XX. Combino la critica social y el activismo politico, pintando la historia de Mexico con ingenio, compasion, y realismo. Sus pinturas y murales mitificaron a la poblacion indigena y de la clase obrera de Mexico y proporcionaron una identidad nacional despues de una revolucion nacional dividida y duramente ganada.