Jesús Guerrero Galván
(1910-1973)

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Guerrero Galván was born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1901. Guerrero became known throughout Mexico for his portrait painting and contributions as a mural painter.

Guerrero painted in a figurative manner using women and children as his most common subjects. While Guerrero’s paintings were noted as capturing the spirit of Mexico, he was highly influenced by Italian painting.

When Guerrero was twelve years old, he began to study painting in Guadalajara in the studio of an established painter, José Vizcarra. In 1928 Guerrero entered the Free School of Painting at the State of Jalisco Museum.

Guerrero became apart of a group of artists that later founded the University of Guadalajara. Other members of the group included León Muńíz, José Parres Arias, Manuel Solórzano, Enrique Celis, Leopoldo Bancalari, Rubén Martínez Ramírez and Hans Christensen. The group initially painted impressionist work but transitioned into a style they called “poetic neo-realism”. This genre was defined by its use of dreamlike images and Italian Renaissance inspired portraiture. Guerrero’s group painted “faux murals” painted on dry wall rather than al fresco.

In 1932 Guerrero collaborated with Francisco Rodríguez Caracalla, Raúl Anguiano, Antonio Servín and Luis Godínez Fonseca to organize the association of Young Painters of Jalisco. The artists exhibited their oil and watercolor pieces at the "Salón de Arte" in the Regional Museum of Jalisco.

Like many of his contemporaries, Guerrero eventually moved to Mexico City to advance his career as an artist. In Mexico City, Guerrero was exposed to the social and political groups that painted murals in response to pressing issues in Mexico. Guerrero painted several murals in schools and was commissioned to do projects throughout the federal district.

Guerrero was affiliated with the Academy of Fine Art in Mexico City and a group called Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios (LEAR). LEAR was a group of artists and writers who were active in fighting against social injustices and fascism.

Guerrero’s work can be seen in collections throughout Mexico and the United States. Guerrero is known today as one of Mexico’s finest portrait artists. Do you think you own a painting by Jesús Guerrero Galván? Contact us. We are the Jesús Guerrero Galván experts.