Dallas Exhibit ‘Flores Mexicanas’ Brings Mexican Womanhood To Life Through Modern Art

The centerpiece is a “luscious” and “verdant” painting by Alfredo Ramos Martínez that originally belonged to Charles Lindbergh.

By Leah Scarpelli & Kristen CabreraFebruary 12, 2020 11:18 am

Alfredo Ramos Martínez might not be a household name, but he made a significant impact on the modern art world in Mexico.

Now, one of his painting is the inspiration for a new exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art called “Flores Mexicanas: Women in Modern Mexican Art,” opening Sunday.

Mark A. Castro is the exhibition curator, and says one painting by Ramos Martínez, in particular, is the centerpiece of the exhibition.

“It’s 9-by-12 feet … called ‘Flores Mexicanas,'” Castro says. “It was kind of his crowing achievement in Mexico.”

He says the Mexican government purchased the painting as a wedding present for the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife. But the painting ended up in storage for years in a Missouri museum.

“This work has come back to light after being gone for more than 90 years,” Castro says. “It’s luscious, it’s verdant, it’s just a really beautiful, impressive work.”

That painting was the inspiration for the larger exhibit that explores womanhood in Mexico during the previous century. The exhibition includes paintings from male and female artists, including María Izquierdo who bucked tradition and pursued art later in life while she was raising three children.

“That’s something that was unheard of in Mexico probably a decade earlier,” Castro says.

“Flores Mexicanas” opens Sunday, Feb. 16, and a preview of the the paintings can be seen here.

 

Written by Caroline Covington.