Self-Portrait

Abraham Ángel was a Mexican painter who shone brilliantly yet briefly.  Developing a unique artistic style in his teenage years, Ángel's brief three-year career encapsulated the dynamic shifts within Mexico City's society and culture during the 1920s. With just 24 paintings, he secured his place as an immortal figure in the annals of modern Mexican art. Diego Rivera praised Ángel profusely, remarking that “there was nothing in the life of this young man that was not beautiful, and his painting was his life.”

Ángel's striking 1923 self-portrait reveals much about him. Viewed without any context of the artist or its title, the figure in the painting might be perceived as female—or at least, as much female as male. In the portrait, Ángel portrays himself with a bold, direct gaze, his face slightly turned to offer a nearly defiant side glance. It’s remarkable how he exudes such confidence in the painting at only 18 years of age.

Tragically, Ángel's life was cut short when he died at 19, found in his bed after a cocaine overdose that might have been caused by the unsuccessful love affair with his professor Manuel Rodríguez Lozano. 

We present today's artwork as a part of our Pride Month celebrations.  :)  We hope you like Ángel's works as much as we do and his contemporaries did!

P.S. If we talk about Mexican art, the first name that comes to mind is, of course, Frida Kahlo. Her life was filled with art and passionate love affairs but also suffering, which Frida conveyed in her paintings.