A Retired Teacher in Mexico City

Monday, March 9, 2026

TV Watching

When I learned that Alejandro has a subscription to HBO, I found a series that I had wanted to watch... "The Gilded Age". It's already on its third season, but back in Ohio I never had HBO.

(image taken from the internet)

The series takes place in New York City in the late 19th century... an era of rapid industrial growth in the United States when the "robber barons" amassed enormous fortunes. The focus is on two fictitious families... the van Rhijn family, "old money" that traced their ancestry back to the Dutch colonists of New Amsterdam, and the Russells, a "new money" family loosely based on the Vanderbilts. There was great rivalry between the "old money" and the "new", and much of the story revolves around Mrs. Russell's attempts to be accepted in New York society. There are also story lines dealing with the "downstairs" servants of both households, as well as Peggy, a young African-American women trying to establish a career as a journalist and novelist. Numerous historical characters pop in and out, such as Clara Barton and President Chester Arthur. Mrs. Astor, who was the arbiter of who was accepted into the top level of New York society, is a frequent character.

The series was created and written by Julian Fellowes, the producer who brought us the popular "Downton Abbey" series and movies, and it bears many resemblances to the British series. Both of them are "soap operas" disguised as costume dramas. However, they are very high quality "soap operas". I do think that "Downton" is the better of the two. What attracts me to "The Gilded Age" are the performances of two actresses that I like very much... Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon. Baranski plays the widowed Agnes von Rhijn, and Nixon is her meek, spinster sister Ada. Barnaski's role could be compared to Maggie Smith's role as the Dowager Countess. She is a snob who looks down her nose at those flashy "nouveau riche", especially her neighbors, the Russells. But just like the Dowager Countess, Agnes has a good-hearted side as well.

I am hooked on "The Gilded Age", and I am already well into the third season. I look forward to the fourth season which is expected to premiere in August of this year.

Sunday, March 8, 2026

More from the Museum of Modern Art

There are many paintings in the museum by artists who are not as well known outside of Mexico. However, I have been to so many art exhibits down here that many of the names have become familiar to me. And perhaps, if you have been reading my blog long enough, they might be familiar to you too.

"The Butcher Shop"

by Alfredo Zalce

1943

"The Little Mule"

by Abraham Angel

1923

"Birds in Dialogue"

by Carlos Mérida

1981

"In the School"

by Agustín Lazo

1943

"Skull Rack"

by José Chávez Morado

1961

"Seated Girl"

by Manuel Rodríguez Lozano

1929

"Green Fire in Paricutín"

by Gerardo Murillo

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Murillo is better known by his pseudonym, Dr. Atl, and he was obsessed with painting volcanoes.

A number of women painters are represented. I think it is a shame that all the international attention is on Frida Kahlo, and other talented painters have remained in her shadow, largely unknown outside of Mexico.

"Landscape with Pineapple"

by María Izquierdo

1953

"Reflection of the Oracle"

by Leonora Carrington

1959

Surrealist Carrington was born in England, but spent most of her life in Mexico.

Remedios Varo was also a noted Mexican surrealist.

"Roulette"

by Remedios Varo

1955

"The Flautist"

by Remedios Varo

1955

"Masks and Dolls"

by Angelina Beloff

1955

Russian-born Beloff was Diego Rivera's first wife. Although they divorced after ten years of marriage, she spent most of her life, until her death at the age of 90, in Mexico.

"Woman from Tehuantepec"

by Lola Cueto

1924

There is only one painting on display by Frida Kahlo, although it is one of her most famous works.

"The Two Fridas"

by Frida Kahlo

1939

The double self-portrait represents her dual identities. The Frida in European-style attire represents her German heritage from her father, while the Frida in traditional Mexican dress represents her indigenous Mexican ancestry from her mother's side of the family.

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Mexican Masters

The last time I was at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City, I was quite upset. Most of the museum's galleries were being used for temporary exhibits. There was just one small space for a dozen or two paintings from their permanent collection. I thought that any tourist coming to the museum to see the richness of Mexican art would have been sorely disappointed.

When I went to the museum last week to see the Gelman exhibit (see my previous two entries), I found that a much larger portion of their permanent collection was on display. It's probably a fraction of their holdings. (Most museums have only a portion of their collections on exhibit.) However, it definitely gives visitors a much better overview of 20th century Mexican art, especially with the Gelman collection to supplement it.

The so-called "Big Three" of Mexican muralism... David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, and José Clemente Orozco... were well represented with smaller format works.

"Our Present Image"

by David Alfaro Siqueiros

1947

"Peasant Mother"

by David Alfaro Siqueiros

1930

"The Fruits of the Land"

by Diego Rivera

1932

"The Dream of the Poor"

by Diego Rivera

1932

"Vigil of the Day of the Dead"

by Diego Rivera

1944

"Portrait of Lupe Marín"

by Diego Rivera

1938

(Marín was the second wife of Diego Rivera.)

"Nocturnal Landscape"

by Diego Rivera

1947

"The Worship of Huichilobos"

by José Clemente Orozco

1947

(Huichilobos is another name for Huitzilopochtli, the principal god of the Aztecs.)

"The Women Soldiers"

by José Clemente Orozco

1926

"Landscape with Maguey Plants"

by José Clemente Orozco

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Another Mexican painter who gained international fame was Rufino Tamayo.

"Homage to the Indian Race"

by Rufino Tamayo

1952

This enormous painting is a portable mural which can be disassembled and transported.

"Nude in Gray"

by Rufino Tamayo

1931

"Landscape with Rocks"

by Rufino Tamayo

1925

More from the Museum of Modern Art in the next post...

Friday, March 6, 2026

More from the Gelman Exhibit

Here are more paintings from the Gelman collection now on display at Mexico City's Museum of Modern Art...

"Dawn"

by Roberto Montenegro

1950

"The Healer"

by Diego Rivera

1943

"Modesta"

by Diego Rivera

1937

"Self Portrait in Red and Gold Dress"

by Frida Kahlo

1941

"Salón México"

by José Clemente Orozco

1940

"Self Portrait with Braid"

by Frida Kahlo

1941

"untitled"

by Rufino Tamayo

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"Nude (Frida Kahlo)"

by Diego Rivera

1930

"Painting"

by José Clemente Orozco

1942

"Liberty:

by José Clemente Orozco

1945

"Variations on an Old Theme"

by Carlos Mérida

1960

"The Latest Hour"

by Diego Rivera

1915

"The Embrace of Love of the Universe"

by Frida Kahlo

1943

"Landscape with Cactus"

by Diego Rivera

1931

"The Bride Who Was Startled Upon Seeing Open Life"

by Frida Kahlo

1943

"Sunflowers"

by Diego Rivera

1943

"Self Portrait with Bed"

by Frida Kahlo

1937

"Self Portrait with Hat"

by Francisco Toledo

1987

"Calla Lily Vendor"

by Diego Rivera

1943

Thursday, March 5, 2026

An Important Exhibit

What is arguably the most important art exhibit of the year has opened at Mexico City's Museum of Modern Art... works from the Gelman Santander Collection. Jacques Gelman was a wealthy Russian who fled the country during the October Revolution of 1917. He worked as a photographer and movie distributor. He was in Mexico when World War II broke out and found himself stranded there. He stayed and began a successful career as a producer of Mexican films.

Gelman and his wife Natasha were avid art collectors, and during their years in Mexico they became friends with many of the most important Mexican painters. After their deaths their European collection was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and their Mexican art, one of the most important private collections in the world, ended up with the Santander Foundation in Spain. Now the artwork has come home for a show which will run until May 26th.

For anyone with an interest in Frida Kahlo, this exhibit is a "must". Oddly enough, there is very little of Kahlo's work on display in Mexico City. At this show I saw more of her paintings than I had ever seen before.