Black Men Muscular Bodies - 1930s

Art Deco rendition of two Black Men with Muscular Bodies in an artistically formal pose with shovels and pitchforks. The work is executed in an Art Deco/Cubist style. Titled "The Miners"- Signed lower right. Titled in mat. Framed under glass 23 x 18 Gouache and Watercolor on Cream Wove Paper
Valentin Vidaurreta. Mexican, 1902–1955
Gouache and Watercolor on Cream Wove Paper
23 - 18.75 in
US$16,000 Plus Shipping

Valentin Vidaurreta came from a wealthy family, which allowed him to explore his talents as an artist. He started as a painter who was well-known in Cubist circles in Mexico. In the early 1930s, however, Vidaurreta shifted to explore the art of silversmithing. According to The Little Book of Mexican Silver Trade and Hallmarks, he worked with silversmith Fred Davis at Sanborn's department stores in Mexico City starting in 1931.

Vidaurreta was known to travel frequently to Europe and Taxco, Mexico. He was already residing in Taxco when silversmith Hector Aguilar arrived in 1936. The two developed "a strong friendship and a relationship of interdependence and respect," as noted in Silver Masters of Mexico: Hector Aguilar and the Taller Borda. When Aguilar opened his workshop, "Taller Borda," Vidaurreta backed the shop and worked there between the 1940s through the early 1950s.

Most jewelry associated with Vidaurreta has ties to other Taxco workshops, including Davis, Aguilar, and designer William Spratling. Vidaurreta also influenced silversmith Antonio Pineda and his artistic approach.

Aside from his work in others' workshops, Vidaurreta made jewelry with his own branding, and collectors relish finding these pieces today. He was also known to take on architectural commissions in Taxco, including a hacienda he eventually purchased and called home. He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1959.
Bio from Worthpoint