Mariano Rodríguez (1912-1990)

Acquired from the artist
Galería del Prado, Havana
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, Latin American Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture and Prints, Part I, November 15, 1994, lot 27, illustrated in color

New York, Museum of Modern Art; Washington D.C., National Museum; Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, The University Gallery; Portland, The Portland Art Museum, Modern Cuban Painters, April, 1944-August 15, 1945
Havana, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Exposición Retrospectiva, 1975
Havana, Casa de la Cultura, Maestros de la Pintura Cubana, 1981

José Veigas Zamora, Mariano: Catálogo Razonado, Pintura y Dibujo 1936-1949, Volumen 1, Seville, 2007, p. 151, no. 43.93, illustrated in color

(This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Conservation, Inc.) This painting is not lined. The paint layer is clean and lightly varnished. The canvas may have been folded horizontally though the center before it was stretched and there is a thin line of restoration running from right to left. Other than this there is a small loss in the shoulder of the figure on the left side, another in the wrist in the lower center, a vertical line of restoration running through the feathers of the chicken in the lower center and a diagonal mark which has also been restored in the background between the between the head of the chicken and the neck of the figure. There are also a few tiny losses in some of the paint in the upper background. The retouches that have been applied are not particularly accurate and we would encourage a more comprehensive effort to not only consolidate the paint layer, but make the retouches slightly more accurate. Despite the restorations however, the condition of this picture is respectable and we have high hopes for it's improvement through conservation.
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.

Mariano Rodriguez's formation as an artist took place during his year of study in Mexico, from 1936 to 1937, where he studied painting and drawing at the Academia de San Carlos with Manuel Rodriguez Lozano and fresco painting with Pablo O'Higgins.

There, his exposure to the spirit behind the Muralist movement made a deep impact. The Muralists' aim of contributing to the formation of an authentic national identity and depicting themes from popular life was adopted by Mariano, a committed Cuban nationalist. For Mariano, the rooster and scenes of peasant life were fundamental to his work of the 1940s and later. Alfred H. Barr wrote of Mariano's roosters that they were "brash, brilliant in color, they are among his most confidently painted works."[i]

 

Muchacho con Gallo (Boy with a Rooster) was one of the highlights of the 1944 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. It is a tour de force in its rendering of a young Cuban guajiro (peasant) carrying a prized rooster. Mariano's statement of Cuban nationalism, hope for the future, and joy at the tropical splendor of the island is readily apparent. The pair may best be understood as a symbolic depiction. The guajiro and his rooster are Cuban archetypes, representations of what Mariano considers to be Cuban life at its most genuine. Given the resemblance of the boy to the artist, this painting may even be seen as a self-portrait. Mariano himself noted, referring to the picture, "It reminds me of my childhood, my love of roosters... I feel I am looking at myself".[ii]

 

Mariano's Fauve-like use of strong colors is coupled here with a cubist deformation of the figures that suggests an interest in Picasso's work of the 1930s. In this respect, Mariano was surely one of the most innovative of the Cuban modernists. He successfully restructured for his own ends the lessons of Mexico and Europe, going beyond many of his contemporaries in challenging the viewer with a vivid display of expressionistic color and form.

 

Muchacho con Gallo is without a doubt one of the strongest works painted by Mariano, one that, like his series of roosters, confirms the artist's significance in Latin American Art History.

 

[i] Alfred H. Barr, Jr., "Modern Cuban Painters," Museum of Modern Art Bulletin, (April 1944) p. 11

[ii] Mariano made this statement to the owners of the painting on several occasions in the 1970s