Tina Modotti

mounted, Vittorio Vidali's Fifth Regiment stamp, a typed caption label with title and date, and reduction notations in an unidentified hand in pencil on the reverse, matted, framed, circa 1924

The Estate of Tina Modotti

The Collection of Vittorio Vidali

Sotheby's New York, 12 November 1985, Sale 5383, Lot 292

Edwynn Houk Gallery, Chicago

Acquired by the Quillan Company from the above, 1989

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Tina Modotti: Photographs, September - November 1995; and traveling to:

Houston, The Museum of Fine Arts, December 1995 - February 1996

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, March - June 1996

This print:

Jill Quasha, The Quillan Collection of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Photographs (New York, 1991), pl. 45 

Sarah M. Lowe, Tina Modotti: Photographs (New York, 1998), pl. 29

Other prints of this image:

Mildred Constantine, Tina Modotti: A Fragile Life (New York, 1983), p. 111

Valentina Agostinis, Tina Modotti: Gli Anni Luminosi (Pordenone, Italy, 1992), pp. 100-101 

Margaret Hooks, Tina Modotti 55 (New York, 2002), p. 79

Tina Modotti (Aperture Masters of Photography, 1999), p. 51

Tina Modotti: Photographien & Dokumente (Berlin: Sozialarchivs, 1990), p. 38

Sarah M. Lowe, Tina Modotti & Edward Weston: The Mexico Years (London: Barbican Art Gallery, 2004, in conjunction with the exhibition), pl. 59

Photography: Venice '79 (New York, 1979), p. 125

This impressive early print is on matte-surface paper with slightly warm tonality. With its subtle rendering of the repetitive bands of sunlight and shadow on the amphitheatre steps, this print illustrates Modotti's expert handling of both her subject matter and her materials. When examined very closely in raking light, a series of faint creases that break the emulsion slightly can be seen in the upper left corner - as there is no corresponding disturbance on the mount, it is likely that these were present in the print prior to mounting, or occurred during mounting. There is very light silvering, appropriate for a print of this age, in the dark areas. Close examination of the print reveals a tiny nick in its top edge near the right corner, as well as discreet chipping on the right edge. The photographer's retouching is visible in the dark areas. None of these condition issues is immediately apparent, and they do not detract in any way from the overall fine appearance of this print. The print is mounted to thin, stiff off-white board that shows minor wear at the edges.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The photograph offered here, one of Modotti's most formally modernist photographs of Mexico, is believed to be one of only two extant prints of the image.  The other, also a gelatin silver print, is in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York. 

Within the scope of Modotti's brief photographic career, this view of the Estadio Nacional in Mexico City is a particularly sophisticated study of sunlight on the stone bleachers of the outdoor arena.  The photograph's low vantage point and lack of a horizon line push the image toward abstraction.  Compositionally, the image is an adventurous and early example of photographic modernism.  While Modotti's development as an artist is often linked to Edward Weston, her lover and photographic mentor, this image of the Estadio Nacional shows Modotti's own distinct photographic vision.     

The Estadio Nacional was a new structure when Modotti photographed it.  It was completed in 1924 under the direction of José Vasconcelos, Mexico's Secretary of Public Education.  Vasconcelos was responsible during his brief tenure for a number of public projects dedicated to improving the lives of poor Mexicans.  He was also a great believer in the efficacy of public art, and through him, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and other Mexican Muralists received commissions to paint the interiors of government buildings.  The open-air Estadio was designed to serve as a venue for music and dance performances, as well as sporting events.  Its design, of massive stepped stone bleachers arranged in rhythmic formation around a central performance area, echoed the monumentality of Aztec structures.   The Estadio served Vasconcelos's dual purposes of creating a modern structure that was both utilitarian and reminiscent of Mexico's centuries-old history. 

Modotti would have been attracted to this structure, not only for the compositional possibilities it presented, but for its cultural significance.  Modotti's affinity for Mexican culture, as well as her left-wing politics, informed much of her work, as can be seen in her photographs of Mexican workers, her political still life studies, and her sensitive portraits of the Mexican poor.  The outdoor arena was historically a central fixture of Mexican life, and served as the venue for public events, games, and bullfights.  As the Estadio Nacional updated the arena architecturally for the new century, Modotti's photograph documents one of the oldest elements of Mexican life in a thoroughly modern way.