Hacia el Paraiso 

Author: María Izquierdo

Name: Towards Paradise (Hacia el Paraíso)

Date: 1954

Material: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 35.5 × 27.5 inches

Location: Private collection.

In Towards Paradise (Hacia el Paraiso), María Izquierdo moves beyond her earlier figurative and allegorical compositions, embracing a minimalist yet profoundly symbolic abstraction. The composition is defined by stark, elemental contrasts: an intense orange flame rises from the lower center, emerging from a barren, ochre-streaked ground. The surrounding landscape is stripped of detail, reducing the earthly realm to an expanse of warm, arid hues. Above, swirling shades of blue and white dominate the upper portion of the canvas, evoking an expansive, celestial sky. Suspended in this vast atmosphere is a small geometric form—an enigmatic rectangle divided into four triangles—that defies perspective, appearing at once as a receding window and a floating portal.

The painting’s title, Towards Paradise, suggests a journey toward transcendence, spiritual purification, or an ascension into another plane of existence. The stark juxtaposition of fire and sky may allude to the elemental forces of transformation, resonating with notions of spiritual ascent. The rising flame, a potent symbol of both destruction and renewal, recalls the purifying aspect of fire in mystical traditions, where it represents the soul’s passage toward enlightenment.

This work also bears striking parallels to José Clemente Orozco’s Metaphysical Landscape (1948), another late-career departure into abstraction by a Mexican artist known for figurative work. Like Orozco’s piece, Towards Paradise eschews explicit narrative or political critique, favoring instead an introspective, almost meditative exploration of spiritual themes. Unlike the grand historical and nationalist narratives that defined much of post-revolutionary Mexican art, Izquierdo’s final works embraced a more intimate and universal vision of transcendence.

Created just a year before her death, Towards Paradise can be interpreted as a profound reflection on mortality and spiritual liberation. By stripping away human figures and narrative details, Izquierdo distills her lifelong engagement with the spiritual into pure form and color. This late painting, though often overlooked, stands as a testament to her enduring search for meaning beyond the material world—an invitation to contemplate the unseen forces that shape existence.