Las Lavenderas

Painting

-

Purdue University Galleries

Name/Title

Las Lavenderas

Entry/Object ID

2008.22.02

Type of Painting

Easel

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil

Acquisition

Accession

2008.22

Source or Donor

Eleanor W. Herrick

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

In Memory of Dr. Rufus Oldenburger

Made/Created

Artist

Guillermo Meza

Date made

1944

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Previous Number

Location

Back of frame, lower left

Transcription

2008.22.02

Material/Technique

Written, Pencil

Notes

Written on a piece of textured tape

Type

Receiver Marking

Location

Back of frame, lower right

Transcription

PURDUE

Material/Technique

Written

Notes

Written in large, white, capital letters

Type

Title

Location

Back of canvas, upper right

Transcription

Y "Las Lavanderas" Y Guillermo Meza nov.-1944

Language

Spanish

Translation

The Laundry Women

Material/Technique

Painted, In Artist's Hand

Type

Number

Location

Back of frame, upper right corner

Transcription

502

Material/Technique

Written

Type

Inscription

Location

Upper center of back of frame

Transcription

le L OR eeL OR cleL

Material/Technique

Written, Pencil

Notes

It's really just two cursive e's or loops and a capital L

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Painting

Nomenclature Class

Art

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Height

32 in

Width

46 in

Color

Blue, Purple, Gray, White, Cream, Yellow, Red, Brown, Tan, Black, Green

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

"Of Tlaxcalan Indian descent, Meza left school at fourteen to become an apprentice in his father’s tailor shop. He attended Worker’s Night School in lxtapalapa until 1937, when his teacher took him to Morelia as his assistant. In Mexico City by 1938, Meza was “discovered” by Diego Rivera who brought him to the attention of Galeria de Arte Moderno. They gave him his first solo exhibition. His “expressionist-surrealist” paintings, on themes often drawn from Indian mythology have associated him with such artists as Frida Kahlo and Agustin Lazo. Guillermo Meza, descendiente de los indios tlaxcaltecas, abandonó la escuela a los catorce años y trabajé como aprendiz en el taller de sastrería de su padre. Asistió a la Escuela Nocturna para Trabajadores en lxtapalapa hasta 1937, cuando su maestro lo llevó consigo a Morelia como asistente. En la ciudad de México fue “descubierto” por Diego Rivera en 1937, quien lo recomendó a la Galería de Arte Moderno y allí le dieron la oportunidad de hacer su primera exposición individual. Sus pinturas “expresionistas-surrealistas”, sobre temas a menudo extraídos de la mitologia indigena, lo han asociado con artistas tales como Frida Kahlo y Agustin Lazo. ----- ----- Guillermo Meza, son of a humble Mexican tailor, displayed an early interest the arts. When not apprenticing in his father’s shop, Meza studied music, drawing, and engraving at the Escuela Nocturna de Arte para Trabajadores No 1 (Art Night School for Workers No. 1). His principal instructor, the painter Santos Balmori, recognized Meza’s talents and brought him to Mexico City (1937) as a painting assistant. His income there and at other odd jobs allowed Meza to continue his own studies at the Escuela España México (Spainish-Mexico School). In 1940 Meza presented his works to the well-established muralist Diego Rivera. By way of an enthusiastic letter, Rivera introduced Meza to Inés Amor, the director of the Galeria de Arte Mexicano (Mexican Art Gallery). Amor arranged for Meza’s first one-person show (1940). The young artist soon found himself regularly exhibiting throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Europe. Purdue has exquisite Meza pastel drawings – dense through layers of whites, greens, reds, and yellows. Meza has an affinity with artists like Frida Kahlo and Agustín Lazo – their works formally akin to Expressionism or Surrealism but with an overriding interest in personal history and cultural heritage. Meza’s works denounce the economic and cultural abandonment of Indians. His subjects suffer, taking refuge in their myths and magic. The figures are often contemplative and complex – at once mystical, fantastic, terrible, playful, and sensual. Meza’s international renown served to widely disseminate his cultural critique. In 1953 he won first prize in the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana national painting competition. He has works in Mexican collections including the Palacio Nacional de Bellas Artes and Museo de Arte Moderno and in American collections at the MOMA, NY, Art Institute of Chicago, San Francisco Museum of Art, and internationally at the MOMA in San Juan, Puerto Rico. "