This is group of 4 paintings from the Houston Museum of Fine arts

1. Houston Museum of Fine Arts
Visited and critiqued by Frank Miranda

2. Introduction
I want to being this presentation by noting the layout of this presentation. There
will be a picture containing an art piece, following the slide showcasing the art
piece there will be 4 more slides with the main areas of critique. These paintings
were featured throughout the museum and some are from the website since I
could not find one of the pieces critiqued today.

3. Dance in Tehuantepec

4. Description
● On the label of the painting it read : Diego Rivera, Dance in
Tehuantepec, 1928, oil on canvas, collection of Eduardo F. Costantini,
Buenos Aires. © Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums
Trust, Mexico D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
● The painting was painted by a man names Diego Rivera and he named
this piece Dance in Tehuantepec
● The painting was painted in 1928 in Mexico City
● The painting was painted in an era of new movement idolizing the arts.
As seen in this depiction a dance is occurring in traditional mexican
clothes, perhaps a celebration for the new leadership during the time it
was painted in.

5. Analysis
● One common thing among a lot of these paintings are that
they all use the oil paint on canvas expect for one.
● The painting has a couple of people in frame, with some
lingering in the background perhaps waiting their turn. The
focus turns on the front two dancers caught in limbo as the
women ready their moves.

6. Interpretation
● The artwork in this painting reminds me
alot fo the artwork that is painted on clay
pottery in mexico. The artist used a lot of
the same dull yet vibrant colors that
attract the attention of someone walking
by.

7. Evaluation
● The originality of the painting is true yet similar. Many
other paintings use the same colorway or the same style
of painting, but that is because of how influential diego
Rivera was in his artwork that many followed in his
footsteps.
● A key takeaway to the painting might be someone who is not
accustomed or unfamiliar with the traditional mexican clothing,
which can confuse the viewer.

8. La Bordadora

9. Description
● The actual label for this artwork reads as so: Diego Rivera,
La Bordadora, 1928, oil on canvas. © 2022 Christie’s
Images Limited
● This painting was set apart from the others in a darker
room with a single light casting down on the painting to
illuminate the art on the canvas
● The oil paint on the canvas took mastercraft with the raised
edges capturing the wood and the flowers perfectly.
● For this painting the subject diego was reaching for was
normal day activities.

10. Analysis
● The artwork is similar to the other pieces
by Diego, but captures a different aspect
of what the regular life in mexico is
perceived as. In this painting you can see
two women one weaving a beautiful piece
of cloth with flowers on it. This piece is
showing the people what a normal day
could consist of if you were right there in
the moment.

11. Interpretation
● The expressive qualities of the painting are not
really the flashy realism, or the unorthodox
painting style. It's the raw felt staging
representing the life these mexican families live.
You sit and look at this painting and in your mind
your supposed to picture yourself there, waiting
for whomever this women is to finish the piece
so that you can work one something else or
watch her make something else.

12. Evaluation
I feel as this piece is a definite
success, for me I grew up watching
my grandma do the exact same thing
as this lady is doing. So Diego
caught his experience and painted it
blissfully so.

13. Self-Portrait on the Border
Line between Mexico and
the United States

14. Description
● The painting description is as so : Frida Kahlo, Self-
Portrait on the Border Line between Mexico and the
United States, 1932, oil on metal, collection of
María and Manuel Reyero, New York. © 2017
Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo
Museums Trust, Mexico D. F. / Artists Rights
Society (ARS), New York
● It was painted in 1932, by the artist Frida Kahlo
● The painting is of a women on what seems like the
border of US and Mexico during what seems to be
an industrial era.

15. Analysis
● In the painting you can see the repetition of stereotypes of
what the industrial revolution looked like, similar to the style of
a political cartoon.
● Two significant points to the painting is the American flag and
the sun and moon, which are two clear representations of
what countries are being compared.
● There is a single women in the middle of the frame amidst the
chaos of what seems like factories and cities and the simple
life of gardening and nature.

16. Interpretation
● The painting reminds me so much of what political cartoons
were like back in the era of the 20’s. Complete exaggerations
of what conditions are like to entiavise the point. This painting
takes that same approach by showing you the clear lines of
what mexican life is like compared to american life.
● I think the painting relates quite well to what the people in
mexico might have been feeling like seeing their neighbors
thrive into the top of the world.

17. Evaluation
● I think this painting is a success from how easy it is to read the
message and understand what the message is and where it comes
from. The longer you look at the painting the more things that begin
to appear that add to the overall message that the US is a
industrial nation.
● The only real downside to this painting is the lack of depiction of
what mexican cities looked like during this time. There is a pyramid
in the background likely referring to the Aztecs, but no mexican
city.

18. The Duchess of Alba

19. Description
● The painting description is as so : Goya (Francisco
de Goya y Lucientes), The Duchess of Alba, 1797, oil
on canvas, the Hispanic Society of America.
● It was painted by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes or
Goya
● It was painted in 1797 during the Viceregal and 19th-
Century Latin America era of spanish rule. During this
time spain had just discovered the americas and
many spanish were coming to South America and
with them their art.

20. Analysis
● The painting is organized in the traditional portrait style but in the
outdoors. The centerpiece is a women dressed in what seems to
be european clothing, likely to be the spanish who had just came to
south america .
● The main focal point of this painting is the clothing the lady is
wearing, it is very different from the other clothing in this
presentation.

21. Interpretation
● The expressive qualities of this painting are the feelings of
conquer and nature. In its raw from its hard to come to the
conclusion that this lady is a conquer, but the reason spain came
to south america in the first place was to grow their nation.
● Another thing this painting reminds me of is the Guadalupe river,
the river is a dark brown from all the mud, the river or stream in
the background reminds me a lot of the border.
● In terms of relation to the other paintings or works from the time,
this painting stands out because the people who painted it were
not natives of the land.

22. Evaluation
● I think if this painting is representing nothing other than capturing
the beauty of the lady on a nice day then it is a success, but I also
think this is a flop considering that the spanish were never
successful in conquering south america in the end.
● One real critique that I have is the lack of color and the lack of
detail in the forest behind, the landscape could have complimented
the lady beautifly if it were implemented more predominantly