Jesús Ortiz Tajonar
I found this painting by Mexican artist Jesús Ortiz Tajonar in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and it completely stopped me in my tracks.
Before seeing this piece, I had never heard of him. The more I researched, the more surprising the story became.
Ortiz Tajonar (1919–1990) was a Mexican painter, illustrator and printmaker whose work is cataloged by both the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His works have appeared in dozens of international auctions, including Christie's New York, where one of his paintings achieved a documented auction result of $22,500 USD.
What fascinated me most is that some of his works have reportedly been confused with those of Diego Rivera, creating occasional attribution debates among collectors and researchers.
This particular painting was being offered by a gallery in San Miguel de Allende for roughly $16,000 USD.
Looking at it in person, I can understand why.
I know that at the end of his life he made a series of medium-format paintings like this one, inspired by the fantastic world of Juan Jose Arreola, the famous Mexican storyteller, with indigenous boys and girls in their natural environment.
What do you think?
Does Ortiz Tajonar deserve to be better known inside and outside Mexico?
British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG181638?utm_source=chatgpt.com
THE MET https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/904311?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Christie's Jesús Ortíz Tajonar (Mexican 1919-1990) , Untitled | Christie's