My Aunt, a Litte Friend, and Me (1942) by María IzquierdoColección Blaisten
'My Aunt, a Little Friend, and Me', created in 1942 by María Izquierdo, playfully recounted the popular practice of posing for a portrait in a photo studio.
The decline of photographic studies in the 1930s and 40s was due to the increasing popularity of the personal camera. It caused great interest and nostalgia for old photographs between artists and writers.
However, this picture does not seem to be based on a particular photograph. Although Izquierdo's self-portrait is similar to a well-known portrait of her at the age of six, taken in a studio, there is no photograph documenting the aunt or the friend.
In this painting, a woman and two young children pose rigidly in front of a backdrop decorated with trees and a fountain.
Can you guess which of these two children is the artist?
The girl in a yellow dress is a self-portrait of the painter herself...
...and is taken by the arm with a young man immaculately dressed in white, bright red shoes and a matching belt.
Discover more about 'My Aunt, a Little Friend, and Me'.
