20 × 26 in
 in
 cm
$7,000
Ricardo Martinez de Hoyos’ arresting surrealistic gouache on paper, Schoolboy, pulls the viewer immediately into the scene before them. In the background, the wall of crumbling plaster over brick doubles as a fervent, cloud-brushed sky where doves swoop and coast. In the almost-empty classroom, devoid even of a lesson on the chalkboard, a single boy gazes morosely across the foreground at an unseen subject beyond the frame. De Hoyos’ use of light places the focus on both the boy and the empty fashion-style school desk, before which papers lay scattered across the floor, mirroring the doves above. Though the viewer appears to be examining a classic schoolhouse room, the slightly skewed perspective juxtaposed with realistic detail lends an air of unease to this masterful example of surrealism.
| Medium | Works on paper |
| Signature | Signed |
| Frame | Framed |
| Condition | very good |
| Seller | Private |
| Location | Vancouver, Canada |
| Provenance | Lewin Galleries, Beverly Hills; Private Collection, Vancouver. |
Ricardo Martinez de Hoyos was born in Mexico City in 1918. Among his many siblings were other artists: Oliverio, sculptor, who contributed to the formation of the teenage artist, pushing him to draw; Enrico and Homer, architects; and Jorge, a distinguished actor.
In 1934, de Hoyos joined his brother Oliverio in the construction of the Monument to the Revolution. There, he met and established a close friendship with the sculptor Francisco Zúñiga. In 1939, de Hoyos was part of the group who launched Friends of the Conservation of the Freshmen of José Clemente Orozco at the National Preparatory School. The group created a manifesto urging students and authorities to protect the murals from vandalism, a reaction to the burgeoning Mexican muralist movement.
In 1940, de Hoyos decided to dedicate himself full time to painting. He attended the San Carlos Academy but determined instead to be self-taught, relying on works such as Max Doerner’s The Materials of the Artist, who he felt revealed the secrets of the old masters. His first works depicted wineries, landscapes, popular characters, and portraits, within the dominant nationalist current, with incursions into the field of surrealism.
In 1943, the artist set up his studio in the Anzures colony, where he was a neighbour of the painter Federico Cantú, who introduced him to engraving techniques and the Mexican Art Gallery, in Mexico City. Later, in 1948, de Hoyos accepted an invitation to teach painting at the Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs and later in San Diego, California. In the early 50s, the artist moved into the studio where he would live and work for the rest of his life. He taught painting, gave lectures, and travelled the world to see great artworks.
Source: https://fundacionricardomartinez.net/ricardo-martinez/
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