The Creation 

Author: María Izquierdo

Name: The Creation (La Creación)

Date: 1940

Material: Gouache

Dimensions: 16.54 × 22.05 inches.

Location: Private collection

The Creation (La Creación, 1940) offers a deeply personal take on the theme of creation, one that draws from María Izquierdo’s Catholic upbringing and reflects the broader Mexican artistic movement toward exploring religious and mythological symbolism as a means of forging cultural identity. While artists like Diego Rivera used grand, sweeping murals to project a vision of a post-revolutionary Mexican society, Izquierdo’s work takes an introspective approach. Rivera’s The Creation (1922), for instance, symbolizes a national rebirth—a collective emergence from the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution. In contrast, Izquierdo’s vision is intimate, portraying creation as a mystical, universal process that intertwines themes of spirituality, human vulnerability, and the fusion of Catholic and Indigenous symbols.

In The Creation, Izquierdo places a solitary, nude figure within a stark, dreamlike landscape, surrounded by barren trees and a turbulent red sky. This figure, seemingly inspired by biblical imagery, evokes the story of Adam in the Garden of Eden, but the desolate setting and surreal elements lend it a more existential tone. This portrayal hints at Izquierdo’s engagement with creation as a deeply personal and spiritual journey, rather than a collective or nationalistic statement. Her emphasis is on the individual’s connection to the divine and to Mexico’s cultural heritage, rather than on the idea of societal rebirth.

Izquierdo revisited the theme of creation in Adam and Eve (Adán y Eva, 1945) and again in Adam and Eve (Adán y Eva, 1946), presenting the biblical couple in uniquely Mexican contexts. In the 1945 version, the scene is populated with objects reminiscent of Mexican folk art, such as doves and decorative figures, intertwining the biblical narrative with daily life in Mexico. The 1946 painting offers a more direct portrayal, depicting Adam and Eve as mestizos, seemingly rooted in Mexico’s Indigenous heritage, aligning them with a universal and mystical origin story rather than a symbol of collective identity. Unlike Rivera’s idealized, nationalistic mestizo figures, Izquierdo’s Adam and Eve reflect a more intimate, introspective connection to heritage, reinforcing her vision of creation as both a personal and spiritual journey deeply embedded in the Mexican cultural landscape.