José Antonio Velásquez Primitivist Acrylic Painting of Honduran Townscape, 1982

Item Details

José Antonio Velásquez (1906–1983)
Street of San Antonio de Oriente, 1982
Acrylic on canvas
Signed to lower right and verso
Inscribed to lower right
Authenticated by Director of Museum of Modern Art of Latin America, José Gómez-Sicre; 1983

‘José Antonio Velásquez was a self-taught Honduran artist. His work depicts typical Honduran street scenes, distinctly stylized and frequently portrayed from a high vantage point and rendered in the rich colors endemic to Central American culture. Often lauded as among the first American Primitive painters, his style is associated with Naïve Art. In addition to his best-known paintings, he also worked in photography and sculpture at various times. Velasquez garnered critical acclaim in his lifetime, and was included in the first Latin American Art Biennial of 1951. His life and art served as inspiration for a film titled The World of a Primitive Painter in 1973, which increased his exposure and acceptance worldwide. Born on February 8, 1906 in Charity, Honduras, Velasquez died on February 14, 1983.’

-artnet.com

Authenticated by Director of Museum of Modern Art of Latin America, José Gómez-Sicre; 1983

‘José Gómez-Sicre is a crucial figure in creating a modern awareness in the United States of the richness and variety of Latin American art. Born in Cuba, he studied law and politics at University of Havana and art history at New York University and Columbia, making a career of disseminating Latin American art through museum exhibitions, diplomatic programs, and publications. From 1948 to 1976 he was chief of the Visual Arts Unit of the Pan-American Union, later renamed the Organization of American States. He was also founding director of the Art Museum of the Americas.’

-si.edu

Condition

- some abrasions and accretion throughout.

Dimensions

- measurement of frame.

Item #

ITMGN99716