Biography

Fermín Revueltas (1901-1934), a Mexican painter and muralist, was born in Santiago Papasquiaro, Mexico on July 7, 1901. He was the second oldest of twelve children. In 1910, he and his family moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, where Revuletas received his first drawing lessons. Two years later, on the onset of the Mexican Revolution, Revueltas and his brother, Silvestre, were sent to St. Edward's College in Austin, Texas. After two years in Texas, the brothers moved to Chicago, where Revueltas had the opportunity to take art classes at the Institute of Art. In this city, the young artist became in contact with exiled European artists who had moved to the United States as a result of World War I. By the end of the 1920s, the Revueltas' brothers left Chicago to reunite with their family in Mexico, despite the ongoing Mexican Revolution. Upon his arrival to Mexico City, Revueltas enrolled at the Escuela de Pintura al Aire Libre. While attending school, he met Professor María Ignacia Estrada; less than a year after meeting, the two secretly got married. Revueltas was a prolific painter. His artistic vision had no boundaries. He painted murals at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, he drew cartoons and other illustrations for magazines and advertisements, he created stain glass pieces and woodcarvings, and he was an avid photographer. Throughout his life, Revueltas participated in many different artistic groups, including Stridentism (30-30!) and the Mexican Muralism movement. Like his friend and colleague, Diego Rivera, he was a member of the Partido Comunista Mexicano. His wide variety of mediums was a direct reflection of his passion for art. When he died prematurely at the age of 34, many of his works were unfinished. Despite this, his art continues to inspire artists today.