Art Day: the mystery surrounding these missing Mexican works

Mexican art has been an important vehicle for projecting national identity through the representation of Mexican history, marked by miscegenation and political turbulence following the liberation of the Spanish yoke. Thus, the country is the birthplace of great artists recognized worldwide and who have created works of incalculable value, some of which have disappeared during their transfer.

Among the lost treasures of art are works by painters who developed in a turbulent historical context, as well as contemporary artists who have found inspiration in the past. Such as:

The Wounded Table-Frida Kahlo

This painting was created by the Mexican artist in 1949 and disappeared in an exhibition in Poland, six years later. His disappearance represented the loss of an important piece of Kahlo's artistic legacy, since it was the largest painting in his repertoire, with a dimension of 1.2 x 1.4 meters.

The self-portrait has caused a stir since it disappeared, because over the years people have appeared who claim to have found it. However, so far none of these stories have been verified as true.

The last time news about this painting circulated was in 2020, when an alleged Mexican businessman based in London revealed that he had it in his possession. Through a Spanish merchant, he assured that it was for sale for 42 million euros.

According to the man's account, Ignacio Márquez Rodiles, who was representative of the National Front of Plastic Arts in 1955, was responsible for safeguarding the work at the request of Diego Rivera. He also pointed out that Marquez sold the painting to a member of the Masonic Lodge and that from there it went through several owners until he reached his family.

But it is a version that could not be tested and that caused suspicion because the seller confirmed that it did not have evidence to prove its authenticity, in addition to expressing preference to negotiate with potential buyers away from the public eye.

Nightmare of War, Dream of Peace-Diego Rivera

This mural, by artist Diego Rivera, was in Bellas Artes, where it disappeared in the 1950s. Several versions of his disappearance circulated, initially the people in charge of the compound reported that the piece had been stolen.

Later, the author of the work formally denounced the theft and those who were in the administration of the palace changed the version of the events, announcing that the removal of the mural had been an order. Some time later the rumor came to circulate that Rivera had sold it in China, but so far it is unknown whether this is its true whereabouts or whether it was destroyed.

It is worth mentioning that while it was on display for the public, the work caused controversy. It was taken out of French showrooms and even before it disappeared, in Mexico it had already been removed from Fine Arts, as the government considered it a provocation to its allies because it was a critical representation of the situation of the world immersed in the Cold War.

The misplacement of this work, which portrays Emiliano Zapata, is one of the most recent in the history of Mexican art. It is a painting valued at half a million pesos and its author, the contemporary artist Xolotl Polo, donated it to the Morelos Congress from where it disappeared in 2019 during its transfer to another site.

After the disappearance, the author of the painting demanded its return. This is because he had allegedly agreed with the authorities that the piece would remain in the state congress and that therefore there was no authorization to move it to another property.

The portrait shows Zapata with his arms and hands outstretched, his fingers dripping from bloody earth, on a canvas bathed in 24 carat gold.

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