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

Courtesy of Dallas Museum of Art
"Flores Mexicanas," 1914-19, by Alfredo Ramos Martinez.

From Texas Standard:

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 paintings is the inspiration for an exhibit opening Sunday at the Dallas Museum of Art called "Flores Mexicanas: Women in Modern Mexican Art."

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

"It's 9-by-12 feet ... called 'Flores Mexicanas,'" he says. "It was kind of his crowning achievement in Mexico."

He says the Mexican government purchased the painting as a wedding present for the 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, which 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 Feb. 16. A preview of the paintings can be seen here.

Written by Caroline Covington.

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