An error has occurred while processing this page. The site administrator has been notified. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Lot 791
Description:
Enrique Alferez (Mexican/Louisiana, 1901-1999), "Moses", c. 1955, terracotta, height 19 in., width 18 in., depth 14 in., on original hardwood base.
- Notes: Note: The talented and beloved Mexican-born Alferez had a colorful and varied career before settling in New Orleans in 1929. The son of an artist, Alferez spent time with Francisco "Pancho" Villa during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), joining Villa's army at the age of twelve. Alferez eventually moved to the US, working in Texas before making his way to Chicago to study art under the revered sculptor and educator Lorado Taft (1860-1936) at the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago. Taft had personally invited the young Alferez to Chicago, after seeing his work during a lecture tour of the South. Admired for his elegant, stylized figural sculptures, Alferez's work may be found throughout his adoptive New Orleans, most especially in the Botanical Garden of City Park. Alferez, then involved with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as its New Orleans Director, along with the architect Richard Koch and the landscape artist William Wierdorn, was instrumental in the designing, planning and eventual construction of the Park, which soon became one of the artistic highlights of the city. Inspired by the human figure, Alferez's sculptures are able to simultaneously convey a sense of dignity while suggesting an undercurrent of intense emotion, as is evident in the present lot. There is a vitality and urgency to his work that reflects the soul of his adopted city. In his later years, Alferez divided his time between New Orleans and Mexico. The 2006 Rex Mardi Gras parade, "Beaux Arts and Letters", honored the artist with a float entitled "Alferez". References: Los Angeles Times Obituary, Sept. 17, 1999. New York Times Obituary, Sept. 15, 1999. The Scribner's Encyclopedia of American Lives, Volume 5. New York, 2002.
Shipping Options
Accepted Forms of Payment:
July 18, 2010 11:00 AM CDT
New Orleans, LA, US
Neal Auction Company
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 0% and any applicable taxes and shipping.