Celebrated artist Rufino Tamayo was born in 1899 in Oaxaca, Mexico. He later moved to Mexico City, where he began to develop his painting skills and techniques. Unlike many other Latin American artists, Tamayo kept his artistic work separate from politics. He did not want to make socio-political statements with his art; to him, art was just art, not intended to represent something else or make claims about his political ideologies. He was especially fascinated with the human figure and many of his paintings depict variations of the human form, some more abstract than others. His subjects were often Mexican peasants and other common folk, and while he did not intend to make a statement about the social or political climate, he captured the vivid imagery of day-to-day life in Mexican villages. He also often included sensual imagery in his art, such as halved papayas and phallic objects. He experimented with various stylistic techniques, employing elements of Impressionism, Cubism, and Fauvism in his work.
His painting “Retrato de Olga” hangs in the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach. It is one of the largest pieces in the gallery. It portrays a regal woman with a quiet gaze, arms folded before her. He used oil paints on canvas for this particular work. “Retrato de Olga” means simply “Portrait of Olga.” Tamayo painted this in 1948, at which time he was living in New York with his wife (and subject of this portrait), Olga. Tamayo had previously had an affair with a woman named María Izquierdo, which caused a major disconnect from his wife. He had painted a portrait of his lover as well, “Retrato de María Izquierdo.” Later on, after their affair ended, he often alluded to her memory in his other paintings, such as depicting the significant image of an open window in her apartment.
“Retrato de Olga” seems almost somber, as though Tamayo felt a great distance from the woman in the portrait. It is not the work of a man in love with his subject, and it lacks intimacy. Olga looks down upon the viewer, cold and aloof. She has no discernable expression on her face. Tamayo used Modernist techniques for this portrait; Olga’s eyes do not appear to contain pupils or irises and the colors are muted shades of brown, gray, off-white, and tan. Olga wears a thick white-yellow necklace around her neck, and a dark gray shawl over one shoulder. The curve of her breast is visible through her light brown shirt. Her dark hair is piled awkwardly on top of her head in a perfectly oval bun. There is no depth to the portrait; the subject is flattened against her off-white background. One can almost detect a hint of disgust in the way her mouth curls, very subtly, at the corners. Though she is portrayed elegantly, perfectly centered in the frame of the portrait, the matted image and subdued colors negate any sense of passion, or intimacy, or even of love. This painting could be of anyone; it certainly doesn’t seem like that of a life-long partner. Perhaps Tamayo was struggling to reignite the passion in his relationship or to relieve some of his guilt over the affair. Either way, the portrait seems to embody the despair and heartache that often infiltrate the lives of those who are unfaithful.
This is but one of the many pieces completed by Tamayo during his long, full life. Tamayo’s paintings are displayed in museums in galleries all over the United States, Mexico, South America, and Europe. Though he passed away in 1991, his art is still appreciated by millions and his canon of work will not soon be forgotten.
