Adolfo Best Maugard
La polveada
1922
Oil on cardboard
72 x 58.5 (without frame)
FEMSA Collection
La Polveada depicts Adolfo Best Maugard’s concept of “Mexicanness.” The synthesis of aesthetic details and the inclusion of elements of flora and fauna, as well as structures that allude to the context of the person it portrays, make it a representation of what the artist conceived as an illustration of the values of Mexican art. Portraiture is a vastly explored exercise in the field of visual arts. The artist highlighted features in the title—perhaps the person portrayed is wearing a lot of powder (polvo), which gives her a pale appearance. The flower she holds melds with the rest of the composition, which includes other flowers, birds, and plants. Beyond serving as decorations or complements to the composition, these details have the potential to reveal more about the character. The gestures and colors used symbolize her characteristic features.
Colección FEMSA has an image bank of the works that comprise it—a resource intended for researchers, publishers, and art institutions. The Collection is open to lending requests for shows in Mexico and other countries.
If you need a high-resolution image or would like to request a work on-loan, please send an email to coleccionfemsa@difusion.femsa.com