Manuel Rodríguez Lozano

Manuel Rodríguez Lozano
Born	December 4, 1896(1896-12-04) Mexico City
Died	March 27, 1971(1971-03-27) (aged 74) Mexico City
Nationality	Mexican
Field	painting
Movement	Mexican muralism

Manuel Rodríguez Lozano (b. Mexico City, December 4, 1896 – d. Mexico City, March 27, 1971) was a Mexican painter.

Biography

Rodríguez Lozano was born to Manuel Rodríguez and his wife Sara Lozano. He began a military education at the Heroico Colegio Militar, and started a diplomatic service career. In Spain, he met Carmen Mondragón, daughter of general Manuel Mondragón, whom he married on August 13, 1913. They traveled to Paris, where they got contact to the avant-garde movement there, met Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, André Lhote, André Salmon and Jean Cassou, between others. Afterwards they moved to San Sebastián, Spain, where they autodidactically trained painting. During the seven-year stay in Europe, their son died, reportedly due to a fury attack of Carmen Mondragón. His death was probably the cause of their separation, although other possible causes are Rodríguez-Lozano's bisexuality or Carmen Mondragón's nymphomaniac tendencies. It is unknown whether or not they ever officially separated. In 1921 both returned to Mexico, where Carmen Mondragón met Gerald Murillo aka Dr Atl, who gave her the name "Nahui Ollin".^[1]

Manuel Rodríguez Lozano for his part, moved to Chapultepec, kept on painting, and had an intensive affair with the young artist Abraham Ángel who had introduced him to new painting styles. Rodríguez Lozano did not belong to these artist, which were promoted by the secretary of education José Vasconcelos. In 1923, Roberto Montenegro arranged contact with Francisco Sergio Iturbe, who became sponsor of Rodríguez Lozano's work, and who inspired him for the works "Los tableros de la muerte", better known as the "Santa Ana muerta" series. Through 1924 he was chief of the art department of primary schools in Mexico City, and reformed Adolfo Best Maugard's methods. Together with Abraham Ángel and Julio Castellanos, he visited several cultural places of Argentina. After the return to Mexico, Ángel committed suicide. Together with some pupils, Rodríguez Lozano returned to Paris, where he exhibited some of his works as well as works of the children. In 1927, back in Mexico, he met Antonieta Rivas Mercado, who felt seriously in love with him, but he did not reciprocate her love.^[2] Together with other notable artists and intellectuals he participated in the Teatro Ulises after 1927, where he painted sceneries. Additionally he exhibited together with Julio Castellanos, Rufino Tamayo and Agustín Lazo. For a further year, he continued his studies in France in 1931. Between 1932 and 1940, he established and organized the "La paloma azul", a ballet group with famous dancers like Ana Mérida and Anna Sokolow. In 1940 he became director of the National School of Arts of the UNAM. At this time he got contact to famous artists, and wrote for several magazines and journals. Rodríguez Lozano made no bones about his homosexuality, his office was upholstered with pictures of his male lovers. In August 1941, several engravings of Albrecht Dürer were stolen in the National School, probably organized by university political groups opposite to him. Rodríguez Lozano was found responsible for the theft, and was imprisoned, which caused solidarity of intellectuals and friends. In the Lecumberri prison he painted his mural "La piedad en el desierto", which was transferred to the Museum of the Palacio de Bellas Artes later. In 1945 he painted his mural "El holocausto", and was invited to exhibit his work in the French Musée de l'Orangerie. He always distanced himself from the official promoted group of Mexican muralists, and held several exhibitions independently in his hometown.^[3][4]

External links

• Manuel Rodríguez Lozano in the Ibero-American Institute's catalogue
• wedding photo from 1913

References

1. ^ Las hijas del porfiriato (Spanish), July 25, 2007.
2. ^ Alejandra Salazar Salazar: Antonieta (Spanish).
3. ^ Manuel Rodríguez Lozano , 1896-1971, Museo Andrés Blaisten.
4. ^ Manuel Rodríguez Lozano 1896-1971 (biography in Spanish)

Persondata
Name	Rodriguez Lozano, Manuel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 4, 1896
Place of birth	Mexico City
Date of death	March 27, 1971
Place of death	Mexico City