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The Art of Luis Amendolla

Are you one for coincidence or for synchronicity?

  1. Coincidence : a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.
  2. Synchronicity : the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.

I’m one for synchronicity. I like to think that there is a connection but its just that I can’t see it. The pattern of events occurring in an engine as big as the universe can’t possibly be discerned by a human mind.

On to the synchronous then. I always loved this image of Xochipilli. I figured it to be from the golden era of Mexican calendars but I never knew who the artist was.

Litografía de Luis Amendolla de 1940, donde aparece una mujer siendo sujetada por la famosa escultura del “Señor Florido o de las Flores”, Xochipilli.

Lithograph (1) by Luis Amendolla from 1940, showing a woman being held by the famous sculpture of the “Lord of Flowers”, Xochipilli.

  1. Lithography is a planographic (2) printmaking process in which a design is drawn onto a flat stone (or prepared metal plate, usually zinc or aluminium) and affixed by means of a chemical reaction.
  2. Planographic printing is a printmaking technique where the printing and non-printing areas are on the same flat surface, unlike relief or intaglio printing, which use raised or incised surfaces, respectively.

Years later I came across a watercolour painting of a church in Xochimilco. The painting was purchased from the artist in the 1980’s and had travelled the World (from Mexico to Portugal to Japan) before landing in Australia. The lady who had purchased the painting had recently passed and an accumulated treasure of a lifetime of travel was now orphaned and being set adrift into the world. I was honoured to be able to adopt this piece.

This was the first time I’d come across the name Amendolla. I could find no reference to the name in any of my books on Mexico so off to research I go. Thankfully it’s the era of the internet. Still, not a lot could be found and it has been an interesting journey.

I could find a little on his art….Mexican Artist : Amendolla but information on the man was harder to find (1) and most others regurgitated this in one part or another (never the whole thing though). Images of him were harder to find….Is This Luis Amendolla? but the Artspawn biography of Luis helped connect him through family….Sara Celis (and by default Luis Amendolla).

  1. the most detailed biography I could find was “Luis Ricardo Amendolla Gasparo, born on March 30, 1928 is considered one of the best watercolor painters of the Modern Era in Mexico. He achieved great status in the art world for his beautiful representations of landscapes and popular life where “El Tepozteco”, one of his most notable works, became the symbol of Tepoztlan. This place became so important to him that he lived there for many years. According to his wife Sara Celis, his personal staple was the people and places that represented Mexican culture, and it was his daughter Gloria who was to be his model. He was awarded for his work in Mexico and abroad. His artwork became known in New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Guatemala, Japan, Korea as well as Mexico. In his spare time he would draw cartoons satirizing himself. His friends described him as a “bohemian at heart” and great artist.”

“I delve deeper and deeper into the observation of figures and shapes captured on the canvas, I imagine various compositions, different textures, contrasting tonal values, different types of light and after multiple imaginary variations, I paint, analyze, study.” Luis Amendolla. (Diccionario biográfico enciclopédico de la pintura
mexicana. México. Quinientos Años Editores, 1979, Pág. 208.)

I hope to visit Mexico later this year and visit the Museo Soumaya and see more of Luis’ work on display in the exhibition on Calendarios Mexicanos.

Museo Soumaya at Plaza Loreto
The Golden Age of Mexican calendars

Historia del dinero 1968 : Museo Soumaya Plaza Loreto

By and large information on Luis’ work outside of his “traditional” artworks has not been easy to find. A Google search will come up with a dozen different art auction sites which more or less have the same information on the same paintings (there are a few dozen or so) and if you check eBay you’ll come up with some Aeromexico travel posters but aside from that, not much.

Luis produced artwork for Pan Bimbo and los radiadores Hércules (Hercules radiators) and a multitude of other companies as well as of course his calendar art. (from the La leyenda de los cromos book – more on this in a bit)

His advertising art is harder to find, and the most I have seen is to be found in the theses written by university students writing on the aesthetics of the time.

Advertising

Sabado de gloria (quemando a judas) Luis Améndolla 1960

The Fiesta de Judas (Feast of Judas), Quema de Judas (Burning of Judas) or Manteo del Judas (the “tossing” of Judas?) is a local tradition of some Spanish and Latin American towns in which, preferably on Easter Sunday, during Holy Week (Semana Santa), a doll representing Judas Iscariot is stoned, lynched or burned for his betrayal of Christ.

Quema de Judas en el Sábado de Gloria, Querétaro

Sin titulo (detalle) : 1966 : oleo sobre lienzo (Untitled (detail): 1966: oil on canvas)

Canasta de manzanas 1958

Sidral Mundet is a Mexican apple-flavored carbonated soft drink produced by Coca-Cola FEMSA and distributed in the United States by the Novamex company, which also distributes the Jarritos and Sangria Señorial soda brands.

autoretrato (self portrait) Luis Amendola (1962)

Now. This self portrait causes a few issues for me. In previous Posts I have sought out the identity of Luis and my delvings have uncovered several images of Luis (well A Luis Amendolla anyway) and these images differ from this painting. Artistic license? Have I uncovered his identity yet or not?

Afiche antiguo original de cooperativa ingenio del mante 1955 dibujo de Luis Amendolla

Original antique poster of the cooperative sugar mill, 1955, drawing by Luis Amendolla

Luis and the female form.

As a contrast, Luis’ “formal” work on the female form is quite different to that of his commercial work.

Rito autoctono (1962)

Bah Humbug

Not everyone is appreciative of such though.

Tarjeta Postal de la Exposición: “La leyenda de los cromos.” “El Arte de los calendarios mexicanos del siglo XX en Galas de México.” Luis Améndolla “Criticonas” (Arte Moderno) 1962, Óleo sobre tela 100 x 80.5 cm. Para calendario de linea.

Postcard from the Exhibition: “The legend of the trading cards.” “The Art of Mexican calendars of the 20th century in Galas de México.” Luis Améndolla “Criticonas” (Modern Art) 1962, Oil on canvas 100 x 80.5 cm. For calendar line.

Patriotismo

Una guirnalda para el heroe

A garland for the hero

My painting of San Bernardino in Xochimilco was only one of many images Luis Painted of Mexican churches

Aguascalientes
Colima
Colima
Merida
Oaxaca
Matamoros

Calendarios

1958 colour calendar Ferretera (1) Del Centro Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico

  1. literally “ironmonger” but more specifically the equivalent of “hardware store”

Posada “Imported from old Mexico”


Luis illustrated the month of December for the 1957 Carta Blanca calendar (for the Estados Unidos)

Other images in the 1957 calendar

Carta Blanca 1957 February
Carta Blanca 1957 March
Carta Blanca 1957 October

La Leyenda de los cromos

This, now out of print, book was produced by the Carlos Slim foundation (1) through the Museo Soumaya, recounts the artistic history of the art and artists of the Galas de Mexico calendars of the 20th Century. I had planned on purchasing a copy of this book but they are now worth hundreds of dollars.

  1. Carlos Slim Helú is a Mexican business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. From 2010 to 2013, Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world by Forbes business magazine. (from their website) The Carlos Slim Foundation is dedicated to the integral training of people of all ages throughout Mexico and Latin America, and aims to strengthen their skills and abilities to allow them to actively participate in economic and social development and achieve more opportunities and a better quality of life.

The latest edition isn’t cheap either. I’ll add it to my wish list.

Luis’ chapter in the book (La Leyenda de los cromos)

In 1953, the young, self-taught artist, just 25 years old, joined Galas de Mexico to illustrate packaging and labels. He left his career as a cartoonist to join Galas as a resident painter.
As an illustrator of advertising calendars, he painted for Hercules radiators and Bimbo bread. He also painted historical themes, Mexican characters, and scenes from urban life, but he was especially known for his humorous comic strips. When he left Galas de Mexico in the 1960s, he was recognized as an outstanding watercolorist. Among his works is “Anorando libertad” (Longing for Freedom) from 1962.

Luis is often compared to the artist Norman Rockwell.

This one weirds me out a bit.
Very Rockwell in this one

Examples of Normans work.

Cover art for the Post
Advertising
This one looks to be part of a series
(see Luis’ image above)

Norman Percevel Rockwell (1894 – 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of the country’s culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over nearly five decades.

Other sporting images painted by Luis (and currently held in the Soumaya Museum)

Let’s have a look at some more “classical” art.

Landscapes

Las Glorias
El Estereo Del Soldado
Valle De Bravo
Los Tejados
Patzcuaro
El Salto

References

  • Bartra, Eli (2011) Desnudo y arte : Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco : ISBN de la obra: 978-607-28-2367-9
  • Morales Carillo, Alfonso (etal) (2000) La leyenda de los cromos: el arte de los calendarios mexicanos del siglo xx en Galas de México : ISBN : 9687794119, 9789687794112

Websites

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