Héctor Xavier

Héctor Xavier (1921 – July 3, 1994) was one of Mexico's most important sketch artists of the 20th century. Part of the Generación de la Ruptura, Xavier was one of the founders of the Prisse Gallery, which helped to break the hold that Mexican muralism artists had on the market in Mexico. He had his first exhibition, of paintings, in the late 1940s, but it was criticized as showing lack of drawing technique, this prompted Xavier to practice the discipline for nine hours a day and becoming specialized in it. However, he felt closer to writers and journalists than to other artists, with his work published in newspapers, magazines and books, rather than exhibited in Mexico via art shows. Except for acceptance into the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana, he was disconnected from the art scene for much of his career and did not believe in donating his works to museums or other art institutions. For these reasons, there are no major collections of his work and much of it is lost.

Life Héctor Xavier was born Héctor Xavier Hernández y Gallegos in Tuxpan, Veracruz to Alfonso Hernández and Paula Gertrudis Gallegos. He often called himself the “son of an unknown soldier” as his father abandoned the family when he was very young and stopped using his surnames. His childhood was spent near the beaches and waters of the Gulf of Mexico and he stated in an interview that this “awoke” his sensitivity due to the saline air and lack of winds. He stated that he knew his ability to draw since a young child, tracing his feet in the wet sands these same beaches.

Xavier started his career at a time when the style of the Mexican muralists was highly dominant. This style did not agree with Xavier and his work, like that of many younger artists, was shut out from traditional art venues. This prompted him and other artists such as Vlady Kibalchich Russakov to open the Prisse Gallery in 1952. This gallery is credited with allowing the Generación de la Ruptura to gain a foothold in the Mexican art market.

Xavier was one of the teachers of artist Georgina Quintana.

Artistry He is considered to be one of Mexico's best sketch artists from the 20th century along with José Luis Cuevas and Gilberto Aceves Navarro. He was most interested in portrait work, drawing animals, flora and the human figure.

Xavier developed as an artist in the first half of the 20th century, when the Mexican School of Painting, or Mexican muralism, and the political ideology behind it, almost completely dominated the art produced in the country. However, he and other younger artists of the time felt that it was stifling. He is classified as one of the Generación de la Ruptura, who struggled to break from this tradition.

He was mostly self-taught but major influence on his work came from his travels in Europe in the early 1950s. Here he was exposed to works of artists such as Ingres and Amedeo Modigliani as well as Picasso. He also met Francisco de la Maza who exposed Xavier to pre Hispanic art, especially that of Colima and the frescos and stele of Bonampak. He worked in ink, including Japanese ink, and silverpoint. In the drawing of fauna, there is much influence from Georges Rouault as well as traditional Oriental depiction. His later work in silverpoint shows influence from Leonardo da Vinci and Filippino Lippi.