Bidspirit auction | Mario Alejandro Yllanes (1913-1960) Bolivian


Mario Alejandro Yllanes (1913-1960) Bolivian - Mario Alejandro Yllanes (1913-1960) Oil on board, signed lower right, piece measures 22 x 18 and 30 x 26 inches w/frame. Believed to be a self portrait woth lover in Yllanes style. Alejandro Mario Yllanes was a Bolivian Aymara painter, engraver, and muralist. His art career began with an exhibition in his hometown of Oruro in 1930, when he was nineteen years old. Shortly afterwards he moved to La Paz, where he worked as an illustrator for the periodical Semana Grafica, during which time he became acquainted with the artists Arturo Borda and Cecilio Guzmán de Rojas. All three Bolivian artists were influenced by the so-called indigenism or indigenismo movement, which gained momentum in Latin America from the 1920s onwards. The movement was characterized by the promotion of national pride and a nostalgic celebration of the Inca and pre-Columbian past, as reflected in literature and the visual arts. Yllanes was driven by a desire to encourage a spirit of community amongst the native Bolivians, and his works often portray locals in traditional Andean dress, carrying out pre-conquest rituals and customs. His incorporation of styles and techniques influenced by Post-Impressionism, Cubism, and Mexican Muralism show his engagement with modernist trends. The latter movement was headed by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Their socio-political art—inspired by the Mexican Revolution—fueled Yllanes’s own work, which he combined with a rootedness to local narrative and materials. Condition: The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact the auction house before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction.