Skin and Landscape: Latin American Women Artists Between Two World Wars

Ana-Marianela Rochas Porraz delights us with an exploration of landscape art as a voice for women between the wars, in the article Skin and Landscape: Latin American Women Artists Between Two World Wars.

The interwar period (1919–1939) was a time of profound social, political, and cultural transformations, as well as a period of emancipation for women. In this context, Latin American artists from the upper classes of urban society, such as Tarsila do Amaral, Frida Kahlo, and Nahui Olin (Carmen Mondragón), used painting as a tool for expression and resistance.

Estudio de Frida Kahlo / Frida Kahlo’s Studio
Fotografía / Photography: Shuki Raz via flickr

The landscape became a means of expression, allowing them to explore themes of cultural identity, tradition, and modernity. Through the depiction of landscapes, these artists captured the essence of their cultures and traditions, reflecting a blend of indigenous-popular and European-modern references.

In a context of growing nationalism and a search for cultural roots, the landscape became a symbol of identity and heritage. Women artists reclaimed local landscapes, capturing the beauty and uniqueness of their natural and cultural surroundings.

Tarsila Do Amaral 1925
Fotografía / Photography: Wikimedia

The interwar period was also a time of rapid urbanization and modernization. Cities were growing at an unprecedented pace, and urban landscapes were being transformed by new technologies and architectural movements. These protagonists captured these changes in their representations of the urban landscape, exploring themes of modernity, progress, and alienation.

Obras de Tarsila Do Amaral / Tarsila Do Amaral´s artworks
Fotografía / Photography: Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo

The landscape also became a space of female resistance and freedom. Through the representation of landscapes and the body, women artists challenged social and cultural norms, exploring themes of freedom, autonomy, and empowerment.

The landscape also became a space of female resistance and freedom

Nahui Olin (Carmen Mondragón)
Fotografía / Photography: Iwona Smolińska

The women artists of the global interwar period, who moved extensively between Latin America and Europe, used landscape representation to challenge established norms and express their subaltern identities. Through landscape, they explored themes of cultural identity, tradition and modernity, as well as resistance, freedom, and empowerment. These artists, with their courage and vision, left a legacy that continues to inspire new generations.

Obra de Nahui Olin (Carmen Mondragón) / Artwork by Nahui Olin (Carmen Mondragón)
Fotografía / Photography: Fvib’r via flickr

REferences:

  1. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. “Yo soy mi propia musa. Pintoras latinoamericanas de entreguerras (1919-1939).” Santiago de Chile, Chile. 17 de abril de 2019 – 30 de junio de 2019.
  2. Musée du Luxembourg. “Tarsila do Amaral: Peindre le Brésil moderne.” París, Francia. 9 de octubre de 2024 – 2 de febrero de 2025.
  3. Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo. “Nahui Olin: Movimiento perpetuo.” Ciudad de México, México. 8 de julio de 2023 – 7 de enero de 2024.