THE MEXICAN EXHIBITION

Author(s): L. M.
Source: The American Magazine of Art, Vol. 22, No. 1 (JANUARY 1931), pp. 3-4
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23931890
Accessed: 28-03-2017 06:13 UTC

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0
THE
-t
American Magazine of Art
tt VOLUME XXII JANUARY, 1931 NUVIBER 1

INCENSE BURNER FROM THE STATE OF

GUERRERO
FOR CEREMONIAL USE. POLYCHROME DECORATION
LENT BY MIGUEL COVARRUBIAS

THE MEXICAN EXHIBITION

AN EXHIBITION of Mexican Arts at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleve
X~\.has been brought to this country land, the Corcoran Gallery of Art,
and is being circulated among our lead- Washington, the Milwaukee Art Insti
ing museums by the American Federa- tute, Milwaukee, the J. B. Speed Me
tion of Arts through the cooperation of morial Museum, Louisville, and pos
tile Carnegie Corporation of New York sibly elsewhere. It comprises over 500
and others. This exhibition had its objects lent by public institutions and
first showing at the Metropolitan Mu- private collectors, chiefly in Mexico,
seum of Art, New York, opening on and before being brought to this coun
October 13 and continuing through try was exhibited ceremoniously in the
<f November 9. It was then shown at the city of Mexico under government pat
<-5 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and will ronage. During the three weeks it was
2 open at the Carnegie Institute, Pitts- in New York it was visited by over
burgh, on January 7 to continue to 25,000 persons, and was widely and
February 4, after which it will be shown most favorably noticed in the press.

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4 THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE OF ART

This exhibition had its inception in due. Co

the interest of Mr. Dwight Morrow, more, co
when Ambassador to Mexico, in Mexi- lection to the United States and is act
can art. Not only did Mr. Morrow find ing as its curator while on tour. He in
the art of Mexico engaging and desir- stalled the exhibition in New York with
able, but of so meritorious and delight- the assistance of members of the Metro
ful a character that he felt it should be politan Museum staff, and again in Bos
more widely known. Personally he ton, and it is he who prepared the ad
made extensive purchases. Many of mirable catalogue, which is in reality a
the works shown in the exhibition are handbook and almost the only available
lent by him. Furthermore, through informative publication on the subject
sheer friendliness and a desire to en- of Mexican arts.
courage an outstanding artist, he him- During Mr. Saint-Gaudens' st
self commissioned Diego Rivera to exe- Mexico two committees were organ
cute a series of mural paintings for one as sponsors for the exhibitionan
of the public buildings in Mexico City, ary committee consisting of Amba
With the enthusiasm of a discoverer he Morrow, Don Genaro Estrada, Minister
mentioned, on one of his visits home, of Foreign Affairs; Don Luis Montes de
the possibility of bringing to this coun-' Oca, Minister of Finance; Don Moiss
try a comprehensive exhibition of the Senz, former Sub-secretary of Educa
arts of Mexico to Mr. Frederick P. tion; Don Carlos Trejo Lerdo y Tejada,
Keppel, President of the Carnegie Cor- present Sub-secretary of Education;
poration of New York, and at that time and an advisory committee, consisting
Acting Director of the American Feder- of some of the most important artists
ation of Arts, who proved immediately and connoisseurs of the country, Diego
sympathetic. Rivera, Dr. Atl, Don Jorge Enciso, Don
As a result, Mr. Homer Saint-Gau- Roberto Montenegro, Don Fra
dens, Director of the Department of Daz de Len, Don Gabriel Fer
Fine Arts of the Carnegie Institute, Ledesma, and Don Antonio Co
Pittsburgh, was asked to survey the The Mexican Government, re
field in Mexico and to outline the scope the importance of this exhibitio
of an exhibition. Through the courtesy valuable and unique examples
of his Trustees he was able to accept the Mexican art from the National
invitation, and accordingly spent the in Mexico City and the State M
month of November traveling through in Guadalajara, and also gav
Mexico from Guadalajara to Oaxaca in ously to the organizers its h
an effort to understand not only the moral support in creating an e
genius of Mexican art, but also its prac- which would be worthy of Mex
tical application, in both fine and ap- tistic production.
plied forms. The intention was originally to return
Through the kind offices of Ambassa- this exhibition to Mexico next
dor Morrow, Count Ren d'Harnon- ber, but so many requests hav
court, an Austrian who had taken up made for it by museums not a
residence in Mexico City and made him- the circuit that the possibility
self fully conversant with Mexican arts, tension of time is now under c
was suggested as the man best fitted to tion.
develop the details of this exhibition The following descriptive ar
to choose and collect the objects and to the exhibition by Count d'Harno
organize its initial display in Mexico was published in the October Bu
City. To his excellent judgment and the Metropolitan Museum of A
well-directed and tireless effort the com- reprinted therefrom with the
prehensive and interesting character of mission of author and publisher
the exhibition is undoubtedly largely L. L.M.
M.

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