Page:Mexico of the Mexicans.djvu/108

92 represented artists of Cuba, Uruguay, and the Argentine, the Philippine Islands, and even Finland, yet none of the Mexican school, this absence being the more noticeable considering that, hard by the Tower of Jewels, there stood equestrian statues of Pizarro and Cortés. But there is a department of old Mexican paintings now in the Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia, to which institution they were presented by Robert N. Lamborn, author of Mexican Painting and Painters (New York, 1891), a very valuable book; and although, when the World's Columbian Exposition was being organised at Chicago, Mexican artists did not apply for a section until even at the eleventh hour, their request was gladly granted. The amount of space allotted to them was somewhat inadequate, inevitably smaller than it would have been had the application been made timeously. Nevertheless, this Chicago gathering, in 1893, was a memorable one; and it was when showing here that Guerra won his American reputation as already stated, the work from his hand which chiefly elicited homage being a bronze group, entitled "A Mockery of Cupid." Other beautiful pictures by him on view on this occasion were studies of Christ and the Virgin Mary, together with busts of Carlos Pacheco and Porfirio Diaz; while a good bust of the latter was also shown by Jesus Contreras, this artist's fine gifts being likewise illustrated by a head called "The Past." Some excellent sculpture was exhibited, too, by José Maria Centurion, in particular his "Francisco Morales"; and sundry medallions by Antonio Galvanez must not pass unnoticed; nor must those of Luis Cisñeros, his exhibit including one of Christopher Columbus. One more sculptural work, which must certainly be cited with honour, is "Spring," carved in ivory by Felipe Pantoja; while among the best things in the small muster of etchings was the "Aztec Flower Girl" of Luis Campa. Bearing in mind the rarity of good devotional art nowadays, it was interesting to observe to what fine purpose Biblical topics had been handled by a number of the Mexican painters—Alberto Bribiesca, Gonzalo