One of Mexico’s foremost academic painters, Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez is also known for his travel writings and art criticism. This portrait of an indigenous woman wearing a huipil (native blouse) and holding a marigold is emblematic of the artist’s ability to capture a fugitive moment and the spirit of the sitter. Everyday subjects were of particular interest among nineteenth-century academic artists. Santiago Gutiérrez trained at the Royal Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City, where he was influenced by the Catalan painter Pelegrín Clavé (1811–1880).

From 1848–1854 Gutiérrez taught at the Instituto Literario de Toluca, but by 1855 he was back at the Academy of San Carlos where he remained until 1858. A restless spirit, he traveled incessantly in Mexico, the United States, South America, and Europe. His influence and connection with artists in the many cities he visited (including San Francisco and New York) remains a fertile yet largely uncharted chapter of his career.

Ilona Katzew, Curator and Department Head, Latin American Art