Galería Mexicana, Mexico City
Dr. & Mrs. Harold Wood, Houston (1955)
Thence by descent to the present owner

This painting is in beautiful condition. It is unlined and still on its original stretcher. The paint layer is cleaned. There appear to be no damages or losses. The work should be hung in its current state. This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

During the late 1920's and early 1930's the Americas were shaken by a new nationalism – a second independence from Europe, this time artistic.  Many artists traveled to Paris, the center of the art world at the time to study and master the arts. Artists such as Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent studied the old European masters and participated in the contemporary artistic movements. But with the birth of the twentieth century, artists from the Americas strove to depict and glorify their own realities, people and landscapes. In the United States, the Ash Can School (Robert Henri, George Bellows, John Sloan, William Glackens, Everett Shinn, George Luks) portrayed the realities of the working class neighborhoods in the industrial northeast rather than the historical scenes and bu൲colic landscapes often seen in academic paintings of the time. Grant Wood, although he went back and forth to Europe, ultimately found his true inspiration depicting the rolling landscapes of his native Midwest.

In South America this artistic rebellion was called Indigenismo. It found one of its strongest proponents in Peru with José Sabogal, Camilo Blás and Julia Codecida. The Indigenismo movement strove to highlight the nobility and eternal quality of the native peoples. The movement flowed into Mexico and influenced the way of life in literary and artistic circles. It became ܫfashionable to decorate your home with pre-Colombian pottery, wear ethnic jewelry and, like Frida Kahlo, dress in traditional clothes from the various Indigenous groups.

Of all the muralists, Diego Rivera was perhaps the artღist who most celebrated the different ethnic groups of Mexico. He is famous for his depictions of local markets (lots 1 & 105), peasants at work, traditional dances and fiestas (lot 103) as well as his tender portraits of local children (lots 17, 125 & 127).

The present painting, Aguadoras Otomíes depicts members of a people that originally occupied Central Mexico in pre-colonial times. The Otomi were displaced by invading Nahuatl tribes from the north. Known for their 𒊎different language and brilliant embroidered textiles, these Otomi water carriers probably belong to the Highland Otomi group from Texcatepec or Tenango.