Harry Ransom CenterThe University of Texas at Austin

News Release — October 12, 2004

"Miguel Covarrubias: Mexico's Renaissance Man"

Miguel Covarrubias.
Tehuana, Undated
Gouache
38.1 x 25.2 cm (15 x 10 in)
Courtesy of the Miguel Covarrubias
Estate. All Rights Reserved.

Adriana Williams, biographer of Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias, presents "Miguel Covarrubias: Mexico's Renaissance Man." Maria Elena Covarrubias, the niece of Covarrubias, will join Williams in talking about the Covarrubias family. The event is held in conjunction with the Harry Ransom Center's new fall exhibition "Miguel Covarrubias: A Certain Clairvoyance." The exhibition includes Covarrubias's caricatures, paintings and book illustrations drawn from the Center's Nickolas Muray Collection of Mexican Art.

Covarrubias is recognized internationally as a key participant in the cultural exchange between Mexico and the U.S. after World War I. Williams's book, "Covarrubias," draws on her long-time friendship with Covarrubias's wife, Rosa, and interviews with many of their friends. A Covarrubias specialist and granddaughter of former Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles, Williams maintains close connections with Mexico's distinguished artistic circles.