A Spiritual Manifestation of Mexican Muralism Works by Jean Charlot and Alfredo Ramos Martínez BY AMY GALPIN M.A., San Diego State University, 2001 B.A., Texas Christian University, 1999 THESIS Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Art History in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Chicago, 2012 Chicago, Illinois Defense Committee: Hannah Higgins, Chair and Advisor David M. Sokol Javier Villa-Flores, Latin American and Latino Studies Cristián Roa-de-la-Carrera, Latin American and Latino Studies Bram Dijkstra, University of California San Diego I dedicate this project to my parents, Rosemary and Cas Galpin. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My committee deserves many thanks. I would like to recognize Dr. Hannah Higgins, who took my project on late in the process, and with myriad commitments of her own. I will always be grateful that she was willing to work with me. Dr. David Sokol spent countless hours reading my writing. With great humor and insight, he pushed me to think about new perspectives on this topic. I treasure David’s tremendous generosity and his wonderful ability to be a strong mentor. I have known Dr. Javier Villa-Flores and Dr. Cristián Roa-de-la-Carrera for many years, and I cherish the knowledge they have shared with me about the history of Mexico and theory. The independent studies I took with them were some of the best experiences I had at the University of Illinois-Chicago. I admire their strong scholarship and the endurance they had to remain on my committee. I am grateful to them, and I look forward to reading their future books and articles. I am delighted to have met Dr. Bram Dijkstra in San Diego. Bram has a profound understanding of American art in Southern California. It was an honor to have him serve on my committee, and I look forward to future conversations about the art produced in the region we both call home. Many friends, family, and colleagues made the completion of this project possible. I would like to recognize the support of Donna Korey, Margaret Denny, Catherine Burdick, Bronwen Solyom, John Charlot, Lisa Banks, and Margarita Nieto. Thanks to Jennifer Faletto and Jon Galpin for their invaluable feedback. I would like to extend gratitude to my colleagues at The San Diego Museum of Art, including Dr. John Marciari, Dr. Ariel Plotek, Alexander Jarman, Amy Britt, and Gwen Gómez. I am particularly grateful for Gwen’s editing prowess and the positive energy she exuded just when I needed it. Most of all, I would like to thank Dr. Julia iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Marciari-Alexander, who always believed that I would finish. Julia’s encouragement and advice in all art matters have proven to be vital. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my husband Russell Petty, who supported me throughout this process and whose patience knows no bounds. AKG iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 A. Literature Review and Research ................................................................................. 7 B. Frameworks for Analysis .......................................................................................... 19 C. Cultural Context in Mexico ...................................................................................... 24 D. Setting the Scene in the United States ...................................................................... 27 E. Outline of the Dissertation ........................................................................................ 33 F. Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 35 II. JEAN CHARLOT ........................................................................................................ 37 A. Early Biography ....................................................................................................... 38 B. Shifting Roles: New Professional Directions for Charlot ........................................ 59 C. Charlot and His Peers ............................................................................................... 74 D. Charlot and Scholarship ........................................................................................... 76 E. Charlot and the Mexican People ............................................................................... 82 F. Romantic Mexico and Beyond .................................................................................. 87 III. CHARLOT AND RELIGIOUS ART ....................................................................... 123 A. Charlot and Large-Scale Religious Works in the Midwest .................................... 124 B. Religious Commissions in Hawai‘i ........................................................................ 138 C. Other Religious Connections .................................................................................. 151 D. The Resonance of His Earlier Religious Prints ...................................................... 157 E. Cartoons, Cards, and Posters: The Religious Ephemera of Charlot ....................... 160 F. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 165 IV. ALFREDO RAMOS MARTÍNEZ ........................................................................... 206 A. Early Biography ..................................................................................................... 207 B. Ramos Martínez and the Open Air Schools ........................................................... 218 C. Murals for Ensenada, Mexico ................................................................................. 225 D. Santa Barbara ......................................................................................................... 234 E. Mary, Star of the Sea .............................................................................................. 237 F. La Avenida Café ..................................................................................................... 239 G. Scripps College ....................................................................................................... 242 H. Other Works ........................................................................................................... 243 v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Reception of Works ................................................................................................. 248 J. Educating Others ..................................................................................................... 251 K. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 259 V. CHARLOT AND RAMOS MARTÍNEZ AND A UNITED ARTISTIC VISION ... 289 A. Faith and Mexican Modernism ............................................................................... 290 B. Religious Context ................................................................................................... 297 C. Shared Subjects ....................................................................................................... 309 D. Quest for Social Justice and Religious Implications .............................................. 312 VI. CONCLUSION......................................................................................................... 329 CITED LITERATURE ................................................................................................... 341 VITA ............................................................................................................................... 351 vi LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Jean Charlot, Untitled (wood carving), c. 1918 ........................................................... 97 2. Bataille des pyramides, an example of Images d’Epinal ............................................. 98 3. Jeux de l’enfance, an example of Images d’Epinal ...................................................... 99 4. José Guadalupe Posada, Nuestra Señora de San ......................................................... 100 5. Jean Charlot, Les blessés au travail, 1918 .................................................................. 101 6. Jean Charlot, Massacre at the Main Temple, 1922–3 ................................................. 102 7. Jean Charlot, Dance of the Ribbons, 1923 .................................................................. 103 8. Jean Charlot, The High Comb, Yucatán, 1935 ........................................................... 104 9. Jean Charlot, Head, Crowned with Laurels, 1934–5 .................................................. 105 10. Jean Charlot, Cotton Gin, 1942................................................................................ 106 11. Artist Unknown, Charlot working on a mural with students, c. 1941 ..................... 107 12. Jean Charlot, Time Discloseth All Things, Cortes Lands in Mexico, and Paratroopers Land in Sicily (detail), 1944 ................................................................. 108 13. Jean Charlot, Time Discloseth All Things, Cortes Lands in Mexico, and Paratroopers Land in Sicily (detail), 1944 ................................................................. 109 14. Jean Charlot, Mexican Kitchen, 1948 ....................................................................... 110 15. Jean Charlot, Woman (Profile), 1949 ......................................................................