Félix Parra

Félix Parra Hernández (17 November 1845 – 9 February 1919) was an artist from Mexico who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During his life, Parra worked as an instructor of ornament drawing at the Academy of San Carlos, located in Mexico City. Through his compositions, Parra conveyed themes and narratives that demonstrated the changes in Mexican culture he experienced or observed during his time in the academy and critical world, providing a glimpse into history and shifting society from his perspective. Additionally, his works, particularly his images depicting natives, served as inspiration for later muralists such as Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco.

Biography

Parra was born on 17 November 1845, near Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. From the time of his birth until 1877, Parra bounced around Mexico, attending different artistic institutions beginning in 1861. The following year, Parra traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe to continue his pursuit of artistic studies. Here, Parra was exposed to a synthetic collage of domestic and foreign stylings introduced by a new wave of professors, most of whom were Mexican artists with Spanish artistic education backgrounds. His exposure led to Parra picking up key elements of both the Mexican and European artistic styles, many of which can be seen integrated into his works.

While at the academy, Parra presented a number of his works in small internal art shows consisting of pieces created by the academy's students. In 1871, he put on display a nude done very much in the European style.

The state of the natives in this work carry multiple levels of significance. First of all, they all appear defeated and afraid, exemplifying the emotional destress of the event being depicted and driving the narrative of this particular painting. More subtly, there are implicit messages conveyed by the positioning of these figures as well. None of the natives appear higher in the work than the conquistadors. This plays with the Spanish belief that they were more “civilized” and thus superior to the natives of the region. Additionally, the bodily position of the deceased native man holds an important meaning. As he lays motionless, his body falls into a position that mimics that of a crucifixion. 1940 - Twenty Centuries of Mexican Art, hosted by the Museum of Modern Art, May 15 to September 30, 1940. 2013-2014 - Felix Parra, 1845-1919: A Visionary Amid Centuries, hosted by Museo Nacional de Arte, November 21, 2013 to July 6, 2014.

Works

Galileo Demonstrating the New Astronomical Theories at the University of Padua, 1873, Oil on canvas. Museo Nacional de Arte. Head of Saint John the Baptist, Undated, Oil on cardboard. Museo Nacional de Arte. Untitled (Architectural Landscape in Grays), Undated, Oil on canvas. Museo Nacional de Arte. Untitled (Landscape-Trees), Undated, Watercolor on paper. Museo Nacional de Arte. Untitled (Allegory-Angel Head), Undated, Oil on cardboard. Museo Nacional de Arte. Untitled (Seated Characters), Undated, Oil on cardboard. Museo Nacional de Arte.

Gallery