Federico Cantú Garza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Federico Cantú
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Self portrait dated 1950
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| Born |
Federico Heraclio Cantú Garza
March 3, 1907 |
| Died | January 29, 1989 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Known for | painting, engraving, sculpture |
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Notable work
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IMSS - Mural Pinacoteca V México- Enseñanzas de Quetzalcoatl -Enseñanzas del Cura Hidalgo- Tira de la Peregrinacion Azteca - Crsito Muerto- Cuatro jinetes del Apocalipsis-El triunfo de la Muerte-Zapata Tierra y libertad-Viacriccis-Xilonetl- Leda y el Cisne-Monumento Alfonso Reyes |
| Movement | Mexican muralism |
Federico Heraclio Cantú Garza (born March 3, 1907 – died January 29, 1989) was a famous Mexican artist. He was skilled in many art forms, including painting, engraving, and sculpture. Even though he was part of the Mexican muralism movement, his art looked different. He often used older, more classic styles.
Cantú found great success showing his art in the United States and Europe. But he also created many murals and sculptures in Mexico. One of his most famous sculptures is La maternidad (Motherhood). This artwork was later used as the symbol for the Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social (IMSS), a big social security organization in Mexico.
Contents
Federico Cantú's Early Life
Federico Cantú was born in Monterrey, Mexico. His mother, María Luiza Garza, was a writer. His father, Adolfo Cantú, was a journalist who disagreed with the government at the time. Federico was born just before the Mexican Revolution began.
As a child, he lived in both Nuevo León, Mexico, and San Antonio, Texas, in the U.S. His family moved back to Mexico for good in the 1920s. Later in his life, Federico sometimes said he was born in 1908 in Cadereyta Jiménez. This was where his family originally came from.
In 1922, when he was 14, Cantú started art school. He learned from Alfredo Ramos Martínez. He also met artists from the growing Mexican muralism movement. For a short time in 1924, he even studied fresco painting with Diego Rivera.
Traveling and Studying Art Abroad
From 1924 to 1934, Federico Cantú lived and traveled in Europe and the United States. He first moved to Paris, France, when he was only 16 years old. In Paris, he met many important artists of the time. These included Picasso, Alfonso Reyes, and the sculptor Jose de Creeft.
While in Paris, he made many drawings. Sadly, two large chests full of these drawings were lost. In 1929, he married his first wife, Luz Fabila Montes de Oca. He returned to Mexico in 1934. Later, he set up a studio in New York. Many of his artist friends moved there to escape World War II.
Federico Cantú passed away on January 29, 1989. His remains are buried near his mural at the chapel of the Universidad Intercontinental in Tlalpan, Mexico.
Federico Cantú's Art Career
Cantú's art career lasted more than 65 years. He created many artworks, including large murals, sculptures, and designs. He also illustrated books.
Exhibitions and Famous Artworks
From 1924 to 1931, he showed his art in the U.S. and Europe. His first show was in Los Angeles. In Mexico, his first exhibition was in 1933. He had great success in New York and London. His art was shown at the Museum of Modern Art and the Tate Gallery.
Cantú made many large murals and sculptures. You can find these works in universities, government buildings, and private homes. In the 1950s, he painted murals for the Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social (IMSS) in Mexico City. One of these was called Las Enseñanzas de Quetzalcoatl. This mural was damaged in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake but was later fixed.
In 1958, he sculpted two stone slabs for a theater in Mexico City. But they were stolen the day after they were finished. Another famous work was a low relief sculpture called El Flechador del sol. He made this in 1961 on a mountain along a highway. However, this artwork fell apart in 2002. Some pieces are now in a museum.
His last big monument was designed in 1988. It was dedicated to a writer named Alfonso Reyes. Cantú also created murals for a church in San Miguel Allende. But these were damaged because of a disagreement.
The IMSS Symbol
One of Cantú's most famous works is the sculpture La maternidad (Motherhood). This sculpture became the symbol for the IMSS. It is sometimes called "Nuestra Señora de Seguro Social" (Our Lady of Social Security).
Besides paintings and sculptures, Cantú also worked on other projects. He made engravings and illustrations for poems by his friends. He illustrated a book called A Matter of Love in 1946. Sadly, many of his artworks have been lost, especially those he made in Europe.
Cantú also taught art. In the 1940s, he taught at a national art school in Mexico. In 1951, he was a guest teacher at the University of California.
You can find his art in many places. These include the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, the Basilica de la Purisima, and the Vatican City. He had a big art show at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in 1970. He was one of the few artists honored there while still alive in 1986. Even after his death, his art is still sold and shown. In 2007, a large exhibition celebrated 100 years since his birth.
Federico Cantú's Artistic Style
Cantú created art using many different materials. He made watercolors, oil paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures. People admired his drawings a lot. He often included Mexican people and landscapes in his historical and religious artworks.
When he was in Europe, he saw new art movements. In Mexico, the main art style was Mexican muralism. But Cantú's style was more classical and academic. He often mixed old myths with modern ideas. He was also one of the only major painters at that time who focused on religious themes. This made him different from other Mexican muralists.
Cantú loved to read, and literature greatly influenced his art. He especially liked the French poet François Villon. He also read many other famous writers like Alfonso Reyes and Lord Byron.
See also
In Spanish: Federico Cantú para niños
