Lot n° 137
Francisco Toledo (1940-2019, Mexican) "Descanso" Watercolor and ink on paper Signed in pencil lower right: Toledo; titled by repute Sight: 7.75" H x 10.5" W Other Notes: Born in Juchitán, Oaxaca, in 1940, Francisco Toledo spent his childhood between Juchitán and Minatitlán, Veracruz. As a young man, Francisco Toledo followed his father into the jungles of Oaxaca on wild animal hunts. Later, he moved to Mexico, where he took up the trade of lithography from the engraving workshops at the local School of Arts and Crafts. In 1959, after developing his craft, Toledo exhibited his works at Antonio Souza's gallery in Mexico and the Fort Worth Art Center in Texas. These early years informed the artist he would become. "Toledo's is the art of shamanism," Christopher Goodwin of The Guardian wrote in 2000, "in which people are transformed into beasts and animals and may take on human characteristics." President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico announced the death on Twitter, calling Mr. Toledo "a true defender of nature, customs, and traditions of our people." While he preferred anonymity, his service to cultural preservation and the celebration of traditional imagery gained him national acclaim. His first one-man show at 19 years set the stage for his travels to Paris, where he was supported by poet Octavio Paz and the painter Rufino Tamayo. Toledo's fascination with the metaphors of indigenous animals as symbols of Mexican history and mythology abounds in his art. Sight: 7.75" H x 10.5" W Overall generally good appearance. Mat staining showing along the window opening of the overmat. Soft paper cockling, likely due to the technique. The sheet is sandwiched within the matting. Unframed; Matting: 14.375" H x 17.375" W