Mabel Alvarez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mabel Alvarez
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Self Portrait, Mabel Alvarez, 1923
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| Born | November 28, 1891 |
| Died | March 13, 1985 (aged 93) Los Angeles
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | School for Illustration and Painting |
| Known for | Painting |
Mabel Alvarez (born November 28, 1891 – died March 13, 1985) was an American painter. Her artworks were often deep and spiritual. Her unique style helped create the Modernism and California Impressionism art movements in Southern California.
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Early Life and Artistic Beginnings
Mabel Alvarez was born into an important Spanish family on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Her father, Luis F. Alvarez, was a doctor who researched leprosy. This was the same work started by the famous Father Damien. Mabel's brother, Walter C. Alvarez, became a well-known doctor and writer. Her nephew, Luis Alvarez (Walter's son), even won a Nobel Prize in physics! When Mabel was young, her family moved to Los Angeles, California.
Mabel showed a talent for art from a young age. In 1915, she joined the Art Students League of Los Angeles. She quickly became successful there. She painted a large mural for the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego. For this work, she won a Gold Medal. Mabel also studied at William Cahill’s School for Illustration and Painting in Los Angeles. A charcoal portrait she drew was even used on the school's catalog cover.
Developing Her Artistic Style
Mabel Alvarez's first portrait painting was shown at the Los Angeles Museum (now the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) in 1917. She kept a close connection with this museum throughout her life. When she was young, she was inspired by the ideas of Will Levington Comfort. He wrote about Theosophy and Eastern spiritual beliefs.
In 1919, Mabel won third prize for her painting of a child's head, called "Carmen." In 1923, her Self-Portrait won a prize for best figure-painting at a spring exhibition at the Los Angeles Museum.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Mabel's art was greatly influenced by the Synchromist Movement. This movement was led by Stanton Macdonald-Wright and Morgan Russell. Morgan Russell was her teacher for more than 20 years. Her early paintings showed her interest in Symbolism, Art Nouveau, and Impressionism.
In 1922, she became part of a group called the Group of Eight. Other artists in this group included Clarence Hinkle, Henri De Kruif, and Donna N. Schuster. This group was important for the new art movement happening in California.
Later Works and Legacy
In August 1941, Mabel Alvarez had her own art show at the Los Angeles County Museum. This show featured paintings with bold colors that she created while staying in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her time in Hawaii was clear in her art, as many paintings showed parts of island life, like clothing, food, and plants. One painting in the show was a large still life of fruit on a table.
Mabel often used the color green in her art. For her, green meant joy, love, hope, youth, and happiness. She used these colors to show universal ideas and characters. These included children, innocent maidens, and spiritual seekers.
Mabel continued to paint into her sixties and seventies. Her works included Impressionism, as well as portraits and still-life paintings. Her later artworks focused on religious and symbolic themes.
Mabel Alvarez spent her final years in a retirement apartment and then a nursing home. She passed away on March 13, 1985, in Los Angeles, at the age of ninety-three.
Notable Art Collections
Mabel Alvarez's paintings can be found in important art collections, including:
- Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu, Hawaii
- San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California
See also
In Spanish: Mabel Alvarez para niños
