Esperanza Martinez
Encyclopedia
For the Paraguayan Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare, see Esperanza Martinez
Esperanza Martinez (1934–1998) was a Mexican-born painter who lived in Southern California
. She was known for portraits and genre scenes of rural Mexican farmers, formal portraits of prominent Mexican-Americans and pastel paintings of native American subjects. As a precocious young artist, Martinez studied with the famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera
. She moved to the Los Angeles
area in 1963 and lived with her family in Hacienda Heights. Martinez died from cancer in 1998.
in 1934. She was a precocious talent who began drawing at the age of three at her grandfather's urging. She began painting under the supervision of an art teacher at seven and then, as she matured, she began to study more formally and sold her first painting at the age of twelve. In later interviews she stated that she received little encouragement from her family as they felt that female artists like Frida Kahlo
were less than virtuous women. Ironically, it was Frida Kahlo's husband, Diego Rivera
who Martinez credited with giving her the confidence to become a professional artist.
. Her paintings were simply signed with her first name "Esperanza.". By the 1970s, she was painting many Native American
subjects, sometimes contemporary, living Indians from the Southwest, but also portraits of well known historical figures such as Chief Joseph
and Sitting Bull
. Martinez painted murals at the famous Los Angeles restaurant La Fonda, which was famous for its mariachi
s and floor show.
, Clint Eastwood
and the comedian Red Skelton
. She was also commissioned to do works for Mexicana Airlines and Coca Cola Corporation.
and often spoke to young people's groups before her passing.
Esperanza Martinez (politician)
Esperanza Martinez is the Paraguayan Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare under President Fernando Lugo.-References:...
Esperanza Martinez (1934–1998) was a Mexican-born painter who lived in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. She was known for portraits and genre scenes of rural Mexican farmers, formal portraits of prominent Mexican-Americans and pastel paintings of native American subjects. As a precocious young artist, Martinez studied with the famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez was a prominent Mexican painter born in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, an active communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo . His large wall works in fresco helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in...
. She moved to the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area in 1963 and lived with her family in Hacienda Heights. Martinez died from cancer in 1998.
Childhood and Artistic Training
Esperanza Martinez was born as Esperanza Perez was in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 1934. She was a precocious talent who began drawing at the age of three at her grandfather's urging. She began painting under the supervision of an art teacher at seven and then, as she matured, she began to study more formally and sold her first painting at the age of twelve. In later interviews she stated that she received little encouragement from her family as they felt that female artists like Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, and perhaps best known for her self-portraits....
were less than virtuous women. Ironically, it was Frida Kahlo's husband, Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez was a prominent Mexican painter born in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, an active communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo . His large wall works in fresco helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in...
who Martinez credited with giving her the confidence to become a professional artist.
Artistic maturity and the United States
Martinez and her family emigrated to the United States in 1963. Her brother Alvaro Perez, followed her to the United States a few years later and began working for her Los Angeles dealer. In Los Angeles she began to develop a reputation for her detailed and lifelike portraits of Mexican-American sitters. While she had been influenced early in her life by Diego Rivera and she credited him with helping start her career, she chose a much more detailed, even academic style that River's for her mature work. In Los Angeles Martinez painted the authentic farm people of rural Mexico, dignified paintings of elderly male and female farmers and she did many paintings of Mexican children. Martinez worked mainly in pastel on toned paper and also in oils. Some of her work was done on black velvet, a technique that while associated with inexpensive tourist paintings, actually has a long tradition in the former Spanish Colonies of Mexico and the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Her paintings were simply signed with her first name "Esperanza.". By the 1970s, she was painting many Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
subjects, sometimes contemporary, living Indians from the Southwest, but also portraits of well known historical figures such as Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph
Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, popularly known as Chief Joseph, or Young Joseph was the leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to forcibly remove his band and the other "non-treaty" Nez Perce to a reservation in Idaho...
and Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (in Standard Lakota Orthography), also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow"; (c. 1831 – December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies...
. Martinez painted murals at the famous Los Angeles restaurant La Fonda, which was famous for its mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
s and floor show.
The Heritage of Mexico Suite
In 1973, a suite of limited edition prints was published titled The Heritage of Mexico. The suite consisted of four images: a composition of a dignified old farm couple, titled Los Patriarchos (titled The Old Couple in English) a young boy with a pinata of a horse titled "El Caballito" (titled The Toy Horse in English) a young girl with sweetbread titled Pan Dulce (titled in English Mexican Sweetbread) and finally a pair of girls titled Las Buenas Primas (the Good Cousins is the English title). Collectors of Esperanza Martinez included Jacqueline Kennedy OnassisJacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
, Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
and the comedian Red Skelton
Red Skelton
Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...
. She was also commissioned to do works for Mexicana Airlines and Coca Cola Corporation.
Family and death
Esperanza Martinez was married to Domingo "Pepe" Martinez. She had a single child, a boy named Ollin. She had a long battle with breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and often spoke to young people's groups before her passing.