The wake

The compositions of José María Jara, an outstanding member of the generation of figure painters trained at the Nacional Fine Arts School in the second half of the XIX th century, reflect the changes that occurred in Mexican painting as a result of the Restoration of the Republic, while also attesting to the steadily increasing demand, on the part of both the critics and the public, for works alluding to Mexican history and Costumbrista scenes. The common scenes and incidents from everyday life that were featured in the said compositions were very painstakingly executed, under the influence of European realism. In this work, the young Jara chose to depict a Costumbrista scene that expresses both indignation at the misery and neglect that predominated in rural areas and sadness in the presence of death. Gathered together for a humble funeral ceremony in an old, dilapidated Baroque-style chapel is a grieving group of poor country folk from some marginalized community. The lurid light of the candles, contrasting with the surrounding shadows, imbues the scene with a drama that is accentuated by the afflicted demeanor of the mourners, whose clothes bear witness to their impoverishment. Jara broke new ground by thus using Costumbrista realism to denounce social ills, rather than simply producing a colorful, idealized representation of the everyday life of the common people. This work hung in the Mexican pavilion of the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1889, where it was awarded a bronze medal. It entered the MUNAL in 1982 as part of the latter´s founding endowment.