Agustín Lazo Adalid facts for kids

Agustín Lazo Adalid (1896 – January 28, 1971) was a Mexican artist and playwright. He is known for bringing surrealism to Mexico. Even though he grew up during the Mexican Revolution, he spent time in Europe. This made him interested in new art styles called avant-garde movements.

He was different from the Mexican muralism artists. He was part of a group called Los Contemporáneos. His art and theater work influenced each other. His paintings often had themes from plays. His plays focused a lot on sets and visual elements. Lazo stopped creating art in 1950 after his close friend and poet, Xavier Villaurrutia, passed away. It is said he never painted or wrote again after that.

Life of Agustín Lazo

Agustín Lazo was born in Mexico City in 1896. His family was wealthy and well-known. This meant he didn't have to worry about money like many other artists. He could choose what he wanted to study and create.

He first studied architecture for a year. Then, he decided to focus on painting. He began his art studies in 1913 at the Escuela al Aire Libre de Pintura. In 1917, he briefly attended the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes. He studied there with other famous artists like Rufino Tamayo.

Lazo started his art career after the Mexican Revolution. He then traveled to Europe. He lived in Paris in 1922 and again from 1927 to 1931. While in Europe, he visited France, Italy, Belgium, and Germany. He went to museums and met avant-garde artists like Max Ernst. Paris was a hub for artists, and there he discovered surrealism. He shared a studio with Alfonso Michel in Montparnasse. During this time, he also became interested in theater. He learned about set design from Charles Dullin.

People described Lazo as a quiet and tasteful person. He was very private and burned many of his personal letters. Because of this, not much is known about his personal life.

Lazo ended his art career in 1950. This happened after his friend Xavier Villaurrutia died suddenly. Stories say he never painted or wrote again. Salvador Novo wrote that Lazo slowly faded away over the next twenty years. He was also overwhelmed by the wealth he inherited from his family.

Agustín Lazo died at age 74 on January 28, 1971. He passed away from a brain hemorrhage and high blood pressure in Mexico City. He was buried at the La Piedad French cemetery.

Agustín Lazo's Career

Lazo's career included painting, designing sets, illustrating, and writing plays. He also wrote art reviews and translated works. Proceso magazine called him a very important artist of the early 1900s. He is best known for his watercolors, graphic art, and theater set designs.

After his studies, he became the director of an art school in Coyoacán. Soon after, he went to Europe. From 1928 to 1930, Lazo worked as a painter in Paris. He learned a lot from the international artists there. When he returned to Mexico, he continued painting. He also became a drawing teacher at the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda".

His art has been shown in many places. These include parts of North and South America, and Paris. His first art show was in 1926. He had group shows in Paris in 1930 and 1940. In 1940, his work was part of a big surrealist exhibition in Mexico. It featured his art alongside European artists.

While living in Paris, Lazo started working in theater. When he came back to Mexico, he joined two experimental theater groups. These were Ulises Theater and Orientación Theater. For these groups, he designed costumes and sets. He created thirty drawings for sets directed by Celestino Gorostiza. He designed sets for famous plays like Antigone and Macbeth. He also worked on Mexican plays, such as Ifigenia Cruel by Alfonso Reyes.

Lazo also wrote plays himself. After his play El caso de don Juan Manuel was performed in 1948, he became a major Mexican playwright. He worked with Xavier Villaurrutia to translate plays. These included Le secret by Henry Bernstein. He also translated works by Giorgio de Chirico. He wrote about the activities of André Breton, showing his interest in surrealism.

He retired from art in 1950.

Lazo received awards and honors for his work. In 1949, the French government gave him an award. He also became a member of the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana. In 1982, the Museo Nacional de Arte honored him with a special exhibition. In 2009, another exhibition showed over 100 of his artworks.

Agustín Lazo's Art Style

Agustín Lazo grew up during the Mexican Revolution. However, he was not part of the Mexican muralism movement. This is why his art is not as widely known to the public. But art historians in Mexico know his work well. Lazo's style was more influenced by European art trends. His time in Europe connected him with artists like Max Jacob. These influences shaped both his paintings and his theater work. He was seen as a painter for thinkers, not for the general public like Diego Rivera.

Lazo belonged to a group called “Grupo sin grupo” (Group without a group). This group was part of the larger Los Contemporáneos. This larger group included writers and intellectuals. They did not like art that was too simple or political. They were patriotic but preferred to stay away from the political art of Diego Rivera. They were more inspired by the fantastic and dreamlike art of Giorgio de Chirico and surrealism.

Lazo was one of the few artists of his time who never painted a mural. Even other artists like Frida Kahlo suggested he should. But he believed that the size of a painting didn't matter. What mattered was the message and impact it had. He only painted on canvas. His largest works were only about 1.5 meters high. These were made in 1924 for the Spanish embassy in Mexico. They were made large so people could see them better.

Lazo is credited with bringing surrealism to Mexico. This came from his time in Europe. His main influences were Max Ernst and Giorgio de Chirico. You can see this in his ink drawings, watercolors, and collages from the 1920s and 1930s. His collages were made from old magazine clippings. After returning to Mexico, his art included elements of fantasy and magic.

His works were often calm and avoided strong emotions. His art often had a dreamlike quality. It could also be a bit sad or unsettling. An example is his painting Tras de la cruz está el diablo (1935). His canvas paintings were also inspired by poetry and theater. Horses often appeared in his work. For him, horses symbolized freedom, escape, and dreams. One painting shows a horse from a statue escaping a city square. Another shows a boy drawing a running horse in a living room. He also drew figures and portraits. These included a portrait of his mother and Xavier Villaurrutia.

Lazo greatly influenced Mexican poetry and theater. His knowledge of set design shaped the plays he wrote. He saw theater as a visual experience, not just dialogue. Surrealism and symbolic images were also important in his plays. Two of his notable plays are historical. Segundo imperio (1945) was about the reign of Maximilian I of Mexico. La huella (1946) looked at Mexican society after the Reform War. It showed the challenges of Mexican society as it changed. The story is set on a hacienda and focuses on a character named Guadalupe. She represents old Mexico.

See also

• In Spanish: Agustín Lazo Adalid para niños