Abraham ngel (1905-1924)

Portrait of Hugo Tilghman, 1924

Andrea Chvez, Cecilia Noriega, ernando !ichardo, Andr"# $a%ra
Abraham ngel (1905-1924) &a# a 'e(ican )ain*er &ho )rod+ced ne& )ro)o#al# %or
na*ional ar* d+ring hi# brie%, ,e* in*ere#*ing li%e- .he vi#+al lang+age he develo)ed &a#
largel, in%l+enced b, *he Mtodo de Dibujo (/ra&ing 'e*hod) de#igned Adol%o 0e#*
'a+gard, &hich &a# ba#ed on mo*i%# %rom %ol1 ar*- 2* &a# *hro+gh #im)le and d,namic
%orm# *ha* ngel )or*ra,ed di%%eren* member# o% hi# #ocial circle, com)ri#ed o% ar*i#*# and
in*ellec*+al# &ho &ere de%ined b, bold ideal#, con#idering *he *ime# *he, lived in- Portrait
of Hugo Tilghman &a# )rod+ced &i*hin *hi# ar*i#*ic con*e(*, &i*h #ome )ar*ic+lar
charac*eri#*ic# &or*h anal,#ing-
2n *he a%oremen*ioned )ain*ing, *he car*ooni#* and )rod+cer o% *he ne&#)a)er El
Universal i# #ho&n a# a *enni# )la,er in &ha* #eem# *o be a momen* o% recrea*ion and
lei#+re, a %ac* *ha* di#*ing+i#he# *hi# &or1 %rom *radi*ional )or*rai*#, #ince *he )ro*agoni#* i#
#+rro+nded b, elemen*# *ha* do no* corre#)ond *o *he a**rib+*e# o% hi# )ro%e##ion- .here i# a
#en#e o% ambig+i*, in *he &or1 *ha* can be no*ed bo*h in *he a*hle*e3# bod, and in *he
#+rro+nding environmen*4 *he %inene## o% *he %acial %ea*+re# con*ra#*# &i*h *he )rominen*
*or#o, an a**rib+*e *ha* i# +#+all, rela*ed *o virili*,- .he di#)ro)or*ion in *he arm# and *he
#lim hand# and *he c+rva*+re o% *he &ai#* co+ld )o##ibl, be in*en*ional ac*# *o endo&
.ilghman &i*h %eminine charac*eri#*ic#- .he oval #ha)e o% *he rac1e* and *he elonga*ed
%orm o% i*# handle are rh,*hmicall, re)ea*ed in *he #*,li#ed *ree# and *he h+man %ig+re#,
rein%orcing *he %ormal dialog+e be*&een o))o#i*e# in a harmonio+# and #+gge#*ive &a,-
5n *he o*her hand, *he colo+r# in *he land#ca)e are #+bd+ed and genera*e an id,llic
#e**ing6 i*# elemen*#, #+ch a# *he clo+d# and *he *enni# co+r*, evo1e a #chema*i#ed reali*,
*ha* lend# *he image an in*ro#)ec*ive 7+ali*,- .he a#)ec* o% *he %ield in &hich .ilghman i#
#i*+a*ed, reveal# *he in%l+ence o% *he mtodo Best (0e#* 'a+gard3# me*hod) in ngel3#
&or16 in *he %ormal corre#)ondence be*&een *he *ree# and *he rac1e*#, and in *he )a**ern
genera*ed b, #*raigh* line#, circle#, and 8-#ha)ed line# *ha* &ere a hallmar1 o% *he de#ign#
conceived b, 0e#* 'a+gard, ar*i#* and )edagog+e, a# )ar* o% hi# dra&ing #,#*em- All *hi#
invi*e# *he #)ec*a*or *o )erceive *he #+rro+nding# in *he )ain*ing a# an environmen* *ha*
#eem# *o #hel*er .ilghman, &hile *he *ree# and co+r* )rovide a cer*ain d,nami#m, bl+rring
*he de%ini*ion o% *he main charac*er3# gender- .he +nconven*ional na*+re o% *he
)ro*agoni#*3# virili*, co+ld be a##ocia*ed &i*h Abraham ngel3# #e(+ali*,, &hich &a# never
#ho&n e()lici*l, in hi# &or1, in #)i*e o% *he rela*ive #ec+ri*, )rovided b, *he +rban ar*i#*ic
comm+ni*,- .h+#, *he )ain*er *h+# crea*ed a #+b*le image *ha* co+ld be read a# a call %or an
emanci)a*ion o% *he de%ini*ion o% ma#c+lini*, *o incl+de a broader range o% #e(+al )rac*ice#,
a la*en* a#)ira*ion in *he homo#e(+al #+bc+l*+re o% *he 19203# in 'e(ico Ci*,-
.he 'e(ican 8*a*e3# in*en*ion *o c+l*iva*e vigoro+# and ed+ca*ed ci*izen# *ha* co+ld
con*rib+*e *o *he e()an#ion o% *he )rod+c*ive ca)aci*, o% *he co+n*r,, mo*iva*ed *he
)romo*ion o% )h,#ical e(erci#e a# a )ar* o% *he h,giene and )+blic heal*h )olic,, and *hi#
)olic, con*rib+*ed *o ne& )arame*er# and )erce)*ion# o% manhood- None*hele##, in *he
con*e(* o% a re)re#en*a*ion o% *enni#, an ac*ivi*, )rac*i#ed mainl, b, *he mo#* in%l+en*ial
#ec*or# o% *he #ocie*, o% *he *ime, *hi# )ain*ing b, Abraham ngel )re#en*# a di#co+r#e
&hich 7+e#*ion# *he ba#e# o% *he bo+rgeoi# ma#c+lini*,, #+gge#*ing hi# incon%ormi*, &i*h
*he #e(+al #*andard# e(i#*ing a* *he *ime-
.he#e arg+men*# become vi#ible in *he manneri#m o% .ilghman3# %ig+re, in #)i*e o%
*he #olemni*, o% hi# )o#e &hich co+ld be com)ared &i*h *ha* o% cla##ical #c+l)*+re#,
)roviding ano*her obli7+e re%erence in ngel3# &or1 *ha* can be rela*ed *o homo#e(+ali*,-
0, re)re#en*ing a charac*er )er%orming an ac*ivi*, *ha* according *o *he #ocial code# o% *he
*ime &a# )rimaril, %or men, b+* &i*h a #+b*lene## im)regna*ed &i*h %eminini*,, i* can be
ded+ced *ha* *he ar*i#* in*ended *o ma1e eviden* *he )ec+liari*ie# o% behavio+r &i*hin a
gro+) o% high-cla## men, &ho#e habi*# *end *o&ard *he di##ol+*ion o% *he limi*# o%
ma#c+lini*, in a homoero*ic a*mo#)here- .here%ore, i* i# )o##ible *o in*er)re* *he )or*rai* a#
a re#+l* o% *he increa#ing 7+e#*ioning o% *he #*ric* )rece)*# *ha* )revailed in *he #e(+al
iden*i*, o% )o#*-revol+*ionar, 'e(ico-