Posthumous Portrait of Vicente Guerrero by Ramón Sagredo is a full-length oil painting made around 1865. Vicente Guerrero (1782–1831) was a leader in the Mexican War of Independence and briefly served as the second president of Mexico in 1829. He was executed in 1831, so the portrait was painted decades after his death, working from earlier likenesses and the memory of those who knew him. It was commissioned for Iturbide Hall in the Imperial Palace during Emperor Maximilian's reign, and Maximilian himself was a patron of Sagredo. The room now serves as the Ambassador's Hall in the National Palace.
The picture shows Guerrero standing in full length, in a dark greatcoat with brown facings over a red waistcoat, with a teal sash at the waist, dark trousers, and brown riding boots. His hair is tousled, and he gazes off to the right with a serious expression. He stands on a rocky outcrop that slopes down to a pale, hazy plain under a warm olive-gold sky. A cactus pad grows at the right, and a rolled paper and a small red-banded object rest on the rock beside him. At the left, a figure in a wide sombrero and a light shirt leans against a rock, placed far back in the landscape. The setting blends the rugged land of the independence struggle with the formal dignity of a state portrait.
The subject is political. Maximilian's court was a conservative regime that came to power through French intervention, yet it chose to hang a portrait of a liberal independence leader in its ceremonial hall. The Commons file notes that the image was cropped and edited for reproduction, and cites Eduardo Báez's La pintura militar de México en el siglo XIX (1992) and the Spanish study La construcción del héroe en España y México, 1789–1847 for its date and context. Sagredo trained at the San Carlos Academy and later worked as a photographer, colouring photographs by hand. Sources give his death date variously as 1870, 1872, and 1873.
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By: Dylan Joseph
I really like how this piece looks. It's a famous scene from the RamayaThe painting has an amazing visual aesthetic. It shows a scene from a famous part of the Ramayana. There is lots of movement and celebration in the piece with the theme of religion. As soon as I look at the piece my eyes are caught by the large vehicle. The shape is a mythical bird which gives the piece a strong sense of movement in the sky. Rama looks very calm and regal. This contrasts with the flowing vehicle and clouds. The use of muted colours gives the piece a dreamy and religious feel. The piece shows that Rama is returning but also that justice is returning. There is a feeling of it being complete after a difficult journey. There is a mix of mythology, imagination and storytelling in this piece. We can visually see an important part of the story. I love how Venkatappa has used the large size of the vehicle and positioning of the characters to create a divine feel. This has made me think about the themes of returning home, responsibility, victory and hope. It shows how artists can take traditional stories from India and add their own twist whilst maintaining the importance of culture and religion.movement in the sky. Rama is very calm and regal which contrasts with the dynamic shape of the vehicle and large clouds. The use of muted colours such as the blue grey sky, pale vehicle and warm tones of the characters gives the piece a dreamy and devotional feel. For me this piece doesn't just show that Rama is returning but that justice is also returning. There is a feeling it has been completed after a long journey. This piece combines mythology, imagination and storytelling. We can visually see an important part of the story. I love how Venkatappa has used the large size of the vehicle and positioning of the characters to create a divine feel. This has made me think about the themes of returning home, responsibility, victory and hope. It shows how artists can take traditional stories from India and add their own twist whilst maintaining the importance of culture and religion.
