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Untitled (Tehuanas in Huipil Grande Headdresses)

Roberto Montenegro Mexican, 1885 - 1968
On View

in

Modern, Level 2, North Wing

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About the Artwork

Roberto Montenegro captured one of the most celebrated Mexican folk costumes in this painting. Six women stare directly at the viewer, faces ringed with white cotton halos created by the collars of a garment called the huipil grande. Modern artists embraced this large overdress, made and worn by the women of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico, as an expression of that region’s cultural heritage. Diego Rivera traveled to Tehuantepec to paint, and Frida Kahlo made several self-portraits wearing the huipil grande.

This choice of subject reflects an essential aspect of Montenegro’s philosophy. In 1940, he wrote, “our folk art, in every period, has served as a true symbol of the artistic instincts of the Mexican people.”

Untitled (Tehuanas in Huipil Grande Headdresses)

ca. 1940

Roberto Montenegro

1885 - 1968

Mexican

Unknown

Oil on canvas

Overall: 36 1/8 × 30 inches (91.8 × 76.2 cm)

Paintings

American Art before 1950

Museum Purchase, funds from Hill Memorial Fund

2019.99

Copyright Not Evaluated

Markings

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Provenance

2014, by descent, the artist's sister, Eva M. Nelson (Los Angeles, California, USA);
May 22-23, 2019, consigned (Christie's, New York, New York, USA);
2019-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

For more information on provenance, please visit:

Provenance page

Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.

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Published References

"Detroit Institute of Arts adds works to Native American collection, new works by women artists," Artdaily. Accessed on [November 4, 2021]. https://artdaily.cc/news/131545/Detroit-Institute-of-Arts-adds-works-to-Native-American-collection--new-works-by-women-artists#.YYQ0NWDMKUm.

Kindly share your feedback or any additional information, as this record is still a work in progress and may need further refinement.

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

Roberto Montenegro, Untitled (Tehuanas in Huipil Grande Headdresses), ca. 1940, oil on canvas. Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum Purchase, funds from Hill Memorial Fund, 2019.99.

Untitled (Tehuanas in Huipil Grande Headdresses)
Untitled (Tehuanas in Huipil Grande Headdresses)