When I lived in Mexico City for a year prior to World War II I knew quite well two of Mexico's greatest painters, Rivera and Orozco, but never met Alfredo Ramos Martinez (1872-1946). However, l am exceedingly grateful to Louis Stem for the magnificent volume of reproductions of his paintings. These paintings are now on display at the Stern Galleries in Beverly Hills.
Works by Martinez and his folowers are on display at Beverly Hills's Louis Stern Galleries (in early January), Santa Monica's Bryce Bannatyne Gallery and, despite Martinez's injunction to "stay away from museums, observe nature," at Mexico Citys' Museo Nacional de Arte.
This show firmly establishes Ramos Martinez as one of the early masters of the Mexican School and an artist who will be drawing more attention from scholars and collectors.
The upcoming Coronado show is only the latest example of a revival of interest in his work. It began in 1991 with an exhibition organized by Los Angeles dealer Louis Stern, which was accompanied by a scholarly catalog and traveled to Mexico.
A Ramos Martinez revival is afoot. Louis Stern Galleries, at 9528 Brighton Way in Beverly Hills, offers a glowing exhibition of his paintings (through Jan. 6, 1992), complete with an illustrated catalogue...