20th Century Mexican School Panoramic View of New York
Oil on a tin retablo
Unsigned; inscribed along the upper edge, at left: Vista Panoramica. Nueva Yor.
10.125" H x 14" W
Provenance: The Collection of Frederick W. Davis
Private Collection, Southern California, by descent from the above

Exhibited: New York, NY, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Mexican Arts," October 13-November 9, 1930, no. 371
Boston, MA, Museum of Fine Arts, "Mexican Arts," November 25-December 16, 1930, no. 371
Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Institute, "Mexican Arts," January 7-February 4, 1931, no. 371
Cleveland, OH, The Cleveland Museum of Art, "Mexican Arts," February 18-March 11, 1931, no. 371
Washington, D.C., The Corcoran Gallery, "Mexican Arts," April 1-22, 1931, no. 371
Milwaukee, WI, Milwaukee Art Institute, "Mexican Arts," May 13-June 3, 1931, no. 371
Louisville, KY, The J.B. Speed Memorial Museum, "Mexican Arts," June 24-July 15, 1931, no. 371
San Antonio, TX, Pan-American Round Table, "Mexican Arts," August 12-September 2, 1931, no. 371

Other Notes: This retablo is illustrated in a newspaper clipping and accompanied by a caption that reads: "Masks, which might come from the Congo jungle, and porcelain figures of amusing sophistication are typical of the many contrasting moods represented in the exhibition of Mexican arts which opens today at Carnegie Institute. The lower picture shows a vision of New York by an Indian artist who never had seen an American city. He reasoned that because millionaires make most of their money from oil. Likewise, the bandstand must be prominent, for New York is a city of importance. He also decided the capitol in Washinton must be in New York as well as a railway, for all wealthy people ride on railways. He probably had been inspired by a picture of a ferry boat."

This item was lent by Fred Davis to the traveling exhibition: "Mexican Arts" of 1930-1931, beginning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York from October 13-November 9, 1930, and ending at the Pan-American Round Table, San Antonio, Texas from August 12-September 2, 1931.

The exhibition was the first large-scale significant public exhibition of Mexican art and was conceived by Ambassador Dwight W. Morrow and his wife, Elizabeth Cutter Morrow, who were deeply enthralled by Mexico's popular arts, antiques, and crafts. The Morrows emphasized the importance of indigenous influences in Mexican art and, "...celebrated folkloric Mexico, as well as acted as patrons validating nativist art within Mexico," (Foreign-Mexican Collaboration).
The idea of the exhibition from Dwight W. Morrow's perspective was that a traveling exhibition would not only strengthen the United States-Mexico understanding and relationship but would also allow the public an opportunity to see and study the visual culture of indigenous influences on art from Mexico. In 1927, while visiting Mexico, Elizabeth Morrow "...became a regular at outdoor markets and antique shops. Mexican artists and intellectuals guided her newfound interest, but she relied most upon her contact at Fred Davis's shop, Rene d'Harnoncourt," (Foreign-Mexican Collaboration). Rene d'Harnoncourt worked as a knowledgeable collector and client representative at Davis's well-known shop and would be a key individual in not only the development but also a leader of this exhibition.

In 1929, Morrow presented the idea of the exhibition to Frederick Keppel, director of the Department of Fine Arts at the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, and to Robert DeForest, lawyer and president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY. After the initial approval, a proposal for the exhibition was created by William Spratling. The Carnegie Institute would finance the project and the American Federation of Arts would carry out the planning and transportation. Homer Saint-Gaudens, Director of the Department of Fine Arts at the Carnegie Institute, surveyed the field for months in Mexico and decided that Rene d'Harnoncourt would be the lead curator.

As he gathered the loan material, d'Harnoncourt structured his curatorial process to create an exhibition that would include "fine as well as folk art," and only those crafts that were "truly Mexican," meaning that their indigenous influences overshadowed those from Spain, Europe, and the United States, (Foreign-Mexican Collaboration). D'Harnoncourt was thus able to provide an impressive collection of items, including many works from the collection of his longtime friend, teacher, and owner of the 'Davis Shop,' Frederick W. Davis. Specifically, Davis lent to these categories in the exhibition: [Early Iron and Silver Works, Early and Contemporary Lacquered and painted Objects, Early and Contemporary Pottery, Early and Contemporary Textiles, Embroideries, and Beadwork, Early and Contemporary Costumes, Early Paintings, and Early and Contemporary Sculptures.] In addition, pieces from Diego Rivera, Julio Castellanos, Jean Charlot, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco, were also a part of the exhibition. D'Harnoncourt's design plan was to divide the exhibition into two sections "Fine" and "Applied" arts. He wrote a well-described explanation of the layout on the introduction page of the exhibition catalogue, further saying, "... the first by means of early and contemporary applied arts and early fine arts; and the second, by contemporary fine arts. The former represents the unconscious expression of national characteristics; the latter, their conscious expression." ("Mexican Arts" Exhibition Catalogue).

On October 13, 1930, the exhibition opened at its primary venue, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was a truly sensational opening and is considered a curatorial masterpiece. As the exhibition traveled to other museums across the country, it would attain with each new stop "record visitation and high praise," (Foreign-Mexican Collaboration). Throughout the exhibition, many people were involved in supporting the understanding and appreciation of Mexican culture and the arts. Rene d'Harnoncourt would "readily admit his intellectual debt to his Mexican colleagues, above all to Doctor Atl," and he ended his introduction in the exhibition catalogue by saying, "The aim of this exhibition is to present, within the limits of artistic production, a Mexican interpretation of Mexico."

Visual: Overall generally good condition. Specks of grime, dirt, and slight darkening to the pigment, all commensurate with age. Abrasion along the extreme edges, primarily along the lower edge with pea-sized or smaller areas of residue adhered to the surface. Scattered areas of pigment loss in the upper half of the image, the largest approximately rice-sized near the upper left corner. A pinhole in the upper edge, at center.

Blacklight: No evidence of restoration.

Unframed Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.