Arts of Colonial Mexico examined in exhibit - Houston - Brief Article

Art Business News, July, 2002

Collector Franz Mayer's passion for collecting the arts of colonial Mexico--from painting, sculpture and richly carved furniture to silver, gold and iron pieces and Talavera earthenware--is brought to attention in a new exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Entitled "The Grandeur of Viceregal Mexico: Treasures from the Museo Franz Mayer," the more than 150 objects on view were created from 1521 to 1821.

"The arts of Mexico's colonial era are still not well-known, even in Mexico," explained Museum Director Peter C. Marzio. "This exhibition offers a rare glimpse at the material culture of that time."

Mayer, a German immigrant, settled in Mexico City in 1905 and began seriously collecting art in 1920. By that time, he was a noted banker and financier. When he died, he left his collections as a legacy to the people of Mexico, and the Museo Franz Mayer opened to the public in 1986.

Highlights of the exhibit include various religious objects, such as a 1760 missal stand entirely worked in cast silver and an alms tray, circa 1700 to 1725. Portraits of women, such as the 1782 "Portrait of a Lady" by Miguel de Herrera, are also of interest, as are the many outstanding examples of Talavera earthenware from various eras. A fully illustrated catalog is available.

SHOW FACTS

"The Grandeur of Viceregal Mexico: Treasures from the Museo Franz Mayer"

Through Aug. 4

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Address: The Audrey Jones Beck Building

Phone: (713) 639-7300

Web site: www.mfah.org