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Martin Saldana1960s Mexican-American Folk Art Oil Painting – Colorful Rural Farm Scene1953-1965
1953-1965
About the Item
“Ethel, The Blue Spotted Cow” is a bold and joyful original folk art oil painting by Mexican-American artist Martin Saldaña. Bursting with color and charm, this large-scale work features a whimsical farmyard scene populated with colorfully spotted cattle, birds, and cowboys beneath a bright blue sky filled with clouds and airplanes—a surreal and nostalgic homage to rural life, memory, and imagination.
Painted in oil on board, this expressive work showcases Saldaña’s signature use of vibrant color blocks, flattened forms, and a dynamic narrative style rooted in Mexican folk traditions. The painting is beautifully presented in a custom frame with all archival materials, including UV70 protectant glass.
Framed dimensions: 40 ¼ x 50 ¼ inches
Image size: 29 x 39 inches
This piece is an exceptional example of mid-20th-century outsider art, offering both visual impact and rich cultural context.
About the Artist: Martin Saldaña (1874–1965)
Born in Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, Martin Saldaña lived an extraordinary life before discovering painting late in life. A cook by profession, Saldaña worked across the U.S. and eventually settled in Denver, Colorado. At age 76, while working at the Brown Palace Hotel, he was invited to join a children’s watercolor class at the Denver Art Museum—a moment that sparked a prolific artistic journey.
Saldaña studied at the Emily Griffith School under the guidance of Lester Bridaham, who became his patron and helped bring his work to international attention. Over the next 15 years, Saldaña created hundreds of works drawn from memory and imagination, depicting ranch life, animals, landscapes, and his beloved flower garden. His unique visual language—characterized by bold color, stylized forms, and folkloric themes—cemented his legacy as a celebrated figure in 20th-century American folk and outsider art.
- Creator:Martin Saldana (1874 - 1965, Mexican)
- Creation Year:1953-1965
- Dimensions:Height: 40.25 in (102.24 cm)Width: 50.25 in (127.64 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Framing:Frame IncludedFraming Options Available
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Denver, CO
- Reference Number:Seller: 261611stDibs: LU27310219712
Martin Saldana
Born in 1874, Saldaña grew up at Rancho Neuvo in Mexico. In 1950, at the age of 76, he began attending children's art classes at the Denver Art Museum. For the next fitfteen years, Saldaña Imaginatively documented whimsical memories from his childhood in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, portraying ranch life, landscapes, and his great love of animals. The prolific artist painted every day, completing a new piece about every three days and amassing an impressive body of work for the former cook at the Denver landmark, the Brown Palace Hotel. Saldaña’s vibrant palette and geometric figures are reminiscent of the tapestries of his Mexican heritage and the paintings, primarily in oil, are innocent and endearing. Saldaña is considered to be a outsider artist, a folk artist who is self-taught, whose work is simple, direct, and high personal. Works Held: Denver Art Museum, University of Wyoming Art Museum, The Colorado Springs Fine Art Center, International Folk Art Museum, Neuss In Aberthor Museum, Stedelijk Museum ©David Cook Galleries, LLC
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