Tuesday of this week, state and city dignitaries gathered around the new statue of artist Maria Izquierdo, the third woman to be honored by having her remains interred in downtown Guadalajara’s Rotunda of Illustrious Citizens of the State of Jalisco.
Born in San Juan de Los Lagos in 1902, Izquierdo was the first female Mexican artist to present an individual exhibition in the United States, in the Arts Center Gallery in New York in 1930.
Although she never identified herself as a surrealist, many of her paintings contain unusual subject matters and interesting juxtapositions. She is known for her use of bold, rich and bright colors, mostly using oil paints or watercolor. Izquierdo is often compared to Frida Kahlo because both women launched their careers at similar times, although the two had different individual styles. It is generally accepted that Izquierdo’s career helped opened the door for many female artists in Mexico. She died in 1995, at 53, of a stroke.