Scene in Mexico

Walt Kuhn

unknown · Brown wash drawing on paper · Modern and Contemporary Art

Kuhn was a figurative American painter of respectable merit throughout the early twentieth century, though his greatest impact likely had to do with his role co-organizing the infamous Armory Show, which opened in New York in 1913 and introduced thousands of visitors to a wide array of modern European and American art. As a painter, Kuhn is best remembered for his often arresting portraits of circus performers. The present drawing, which shows two men wearing wide-brimmed hats while standing and conversing along a street, is distinct for its presumed Mexican subject and prompts questions around the artist’s travels and his engagement with Mexican culture.

Artist

Walt Kuhn

Date

unknown

Medium

Brown wash drawing on paper

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Bequest of Nanette B. Kelekian, 2020