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Francisco Zúñiga Art

Costa Rican, 1912-1998

Known as one of the most important Expressionist artists to emerge from Latin America, Francisco Zúñiga is remembered for his monumental sculptures, figurative paintings and prints, nude drawings and portraits of Central America’s rural indigenous women.

Born in San José, Costa Rica, in 1912, Zúñiga’s exposure to artistic sculpture began at the age of 13, when he worked with his father, Manuel Maria Zúñiga, carving religious figures for local churches. Spurred by a growing interest in art, Zúñiga attended San José’s School of Fine Arts, where he became influenced by classical, renaissance figurative art. After winning several local awards for his prodigious talent, Zúñiga left San José for Mexico City in 1936.

In Mexico City, he attended La Esmeralda, the painting and sculpture school of the National Institute of Fine Arts. There, Zúñiga studied under sculptor Oliverio Martinez and painter Manuel Rodriguez Lozano.

In 1938, Zúñiga joined the faculty at La Esmeralda, where he taught sculpture and painting until 1970. Meanwhile, during the early 1940s, Zúñiga’s works began to attract the attention of art critics in the United States as well as important collectors. In 1941, the Arts Club of Chicago included him as part of their “Thirteen Mexican Artists” group show. The following year, Alfred Barr, director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, purchased one of his stone sculptures for MoMA’s permanent collection. Then, in 1943, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired two of Zúñiga’s drawings. 

Throughout most of his career, Zúñiga limited his subject matter to indigenous peasant women. However, he experimented with working with a variety of materials for his sculptures — bronze, alabaster, plaster, marble and modeling clay — and sought new media to create his art. (He made his first lithograph at age 60.)

Zúñiga won countless accolades in his lifetime. He won international awards for 35 of his public sculptures along with other works, and in 1992, he won Mexico’s highest cultural award, the Premio Nacional de Calidad.

Even after his death in 1998, Zúñiga’s legacy lives on. His sculptures, drawings, paintings and prints are found in museums around the world, including MoMA and the Met in New York, the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City, the Fogg Museum at Harvard University, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., the Middleheim Museum in Antwerp, Belgium and the Open-Air Museum in Hakone, Japan.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of Francisco Zúñiga prints, drawings and paintings.

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Item Ships From: San Francisco
Dos Mujeres Mayas (Two Mayan Women)
By Francisco Zúñiga
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Dos Mujeres Mayas (Two Mayan Women)") 1983 is an original Mixograph cast paper bas relief by Costa Rican/Mexican artist Francisco...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Francisco Zúñiga Art

Materials

Other Medium

Soledad Acostada
By Francisco Zúñiga
Located in San Francisco, CA
Pencil signed lithograph by Costa Rican Master Francisco Zuniga (1921-1998) Works by Zuniga are instantly recognizable. He is mostly known for his paintings of rural indigenous wome...
Category

Mid-20th Century Impressionist Francisco Zúñiga Art

Materials

Lithograph

Juchiteca's Platicando (Juchitecan Women Talking)
By Francisco Zúñiga
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Juchiteca's Platicando (Juchitecan Women Talking) 1985 is an original colors lithograph on Wove paper by Costa Rican/Mexican artist Francisco Zuniga, 1912-1998. It is hand signed, dated and numbered 72/150 in pencil by the artist. The size is 22.75 x 30 inches. It is in excellent condition, 2 small pieces of hanging tape remaining on the back at the top edge of the sheet from previous framing. About the subject: This print, Juchitecas Platicando (Juchitecán Women Talking), depicts three statuesque women from the city of Juchiteca in the state of Oaxaca in southeastern Mexico. Juchiteca is a largely matriarchal society, in that women control the economy and hold positions of power. It is also home to a large Zapotec population, indigenous to the land that became Mexico. Francisco Zúñiga lived within the community of Juchiteca for a period of time and adopted the women of the area as one of the central motifs of his artwork, both on paper and in sculpture. Through his selective coloring, Zúñiga highlights the women’s clothing, including their recognizable huipiles or tunics, conveying the pride in locally made textile art About the artist: Internationally acclaimed sculptor and printmaker Francisco Zuñiga was born in Costa Rica. He studied drawing, stone sculpture, and engraving at the School of Fine Arts in San Jose. Later, in 1936, he studied stone carving at La Esmeralda in Mexico City. He was appointed to the faculty of La Esmeralda where he remained until his retirement in 1970. Zuniga's art reflects a love and respect for Central American people and traditions. In 1972, he created his first lithograph. As a complement to his emotionally powerful sculpture, Zuniga's prints articulate the sensitivity and sensuality of the human figure. He has been the recipient of numerous international prizes and awards. His work is exhibited frequently in prominent galleries throughout the world and may be found in the permanent collections of twenty-nine museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum, the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, and the Phoenix Art Museum. In 1936, Francisco Zuniga left San Jose, Costa Rica, where he had studied drawing at the School of Fine Arts and worked as an assistant in his father's studio, a workshop which produced religious sculpture for the churches and convents in and around the city. His destination was Mexico City. It was from there that he would begin an illustrious career as a sculptor and draftsman. Zuñiga's exploration into the nuances of volume, in line and space, are demonstrated in this, the most complete exhibition of his work to be shown in more than a decade. Mexico City in 1936 was, even then, one of the major art centers of the Americas. As such it witnessed and participated in many of the frenzied and controversial art movements which reflected the political and intellectual climate of the first three decades of the twentieth century. Muralism, the graphic arts, the incorporation of in-ternational movements had produced an artistic climate, which would eventually attract to Mexico international artists and intellectuals such as Sergei Eisenstein, André Breton and Antonin Artaud. Then as now, Mexico City was a major world capital with the infrastructure necessary to exhibit and expose new aesthetic concepts. For all these reasons it was the most obvious destination of choice for Zuñiga. In Mexico he worked with the painter Manuel Rodríguez...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Francisco Zúñiga Art

Materials

Lithograph

Familia Indigena III
By Francisco Zúñiga
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Familia Indigena III" 1983 is an original colors lithograph on Wove paper by renown Costa Rican/Mexican artist Francisco Zuniga, 1912-1998. It is hand signed, dated and numbered 67/100 in pencil by the artist. The artwork size is 22 x 29.85 inches, framed size is 28.5 x 36.5 inches. Published and printed by La Poligrafa, Barcelona, Spain. Referenced and pictured in the artist's catalogue raisonne "Zuniga The Complete Graphics, 1972-1984, by Jerry Brewster, plate #93. Beautifully framed in a custom acrylic display box, with brown fabric backing. It is in excellent condition. About the artist: Internationally acclaimed sculptor and printmaker Francisco Zuñiga was born in Costa Rica. He studied drawing, stone sculpture, and engraving at the School of Fine Arts in San Jose. Later, in 1936, he studied stone carving at La Esmeralda in Mexico City. He was appointed to the faculty of La Esmeralda where he remained until his retirement in 1970. Zuniga's art reflects a love and respect for Central American people and traditions. In 1972, he created his first lithograph. As a complement to his emotionally powerful sculpture, Zuniga's prints articulate the sensitivity and sensuality of the human figure. He has been the recipient of numerous international prizes and awards. His work is exhibited frequently in prominent galleries throughout the world and may be found in the permanent collections of twenty-nine museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum, the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, and the Phoenix Art Museum. In 1936, Francisco Zuniga left San Jose, Costa Rica, where he had studied drawing at the School of Fine Arts and worked as an assistant in his father's studio, a workshop which produced religious sculpture for the churches and convents in and around the city. His destination was Mexico City. It was from there that he would begin an illustrious career as a sculptor and draftsman. Zuñiga's exploration into the nuances of volume, in line and space, are demonstrated in this, the most complete exhibition of his work to be shown in more than a decade. Mexico City in 1936 was, even then, one of the major art centers of the Americas. As such it witnessed and participated in many of the frenzied and controversial art movements which reflected the political and intellectual climate of the first three decades of the twentieth century. Muralism, the graphic arts, the incorporation of in-ternational movements had produced an artistic climate, which would eventually attract to Mexico international artists and intellectuals such as Sergei Eisenstein...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Francisco Zúñiga Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Silvia" Large original color lithograph
By Francisco Zúñiga
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Silvia" 1980 is an original colors lithograph on Wove paper by renown Costa Rican/Mexican artist Francisco Zuniga, 1912-1998. It is hand signed, dated and number...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Francisco Zúñiga Art

Materials

Lithograph

Mujeres de Mexico
By Francisco Zúñiga
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Mujeres de Mexico" 1973 is an original colors lithograph on Wove paper by renown Costa Rican/Mexican artist Francisco Zuniga, 1912-1998. It is hand signed, dated and numbered XX/XXV in pencil by the artist. The artwork size is 22.25 x 30.75 inches, framed size is 34.5 x 42.25 inches. Published by Editions Press, San Francisco, with their blind stamp at the lower right corner. Referenced and pictured in the artist's catalogue raisonne by Brewster plate #5. Beautifully custom framed in a wooden gold frame, with fabric matting and gold color bevel. It is in excellent condition, the frame have some light discoloration at the left side, please see picture #1. About the artist: Internationally acclaimed sculptor and printmaker Francisco Zuñiga was born in Costa Rica. He studied drawing, stone sculpture, and engraving at the School of Fine Arts in San Jose. Later, in 1936, he studied stone carving at La Esmeralda in Mexico City. He was appointed to the faculty of La Esmeralda where he remained until his retirement in 1970. Zuniga's art reflects a love and respect for Central American people and traditions. In 1972, he created his first lithograph. As a complement to his emotionally powerful sculpture, Zuniga's prints articulate the sensitivity and sensuality of the human figure. He has been the recipient of numerous international prizes and awards. His work is exhibited frequently in prominent galleries throughout the world and may be found in the permanent collections of twenty-nine museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum, the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, and the Phoenix Art Museum. In 1936, Francisco Zuniga left San Jose, Costa Rica, where he had studied drawing at the School of Fine Arts and worked as an assistant in his father's studio, a workshop which produced religious sculpture for the churches and convents in and around the city. His destination was Mexico City. It was from there that he would begin an illustrious career as a sculptor and draftsman. Zuñiga's exploration into the nuances of volume, in line and space, are demonstrated in this, the most complete exhibition of his work to be shown in more than a decade. Mexico City in 1936 was, even then, one of the major art centers of the Americas. As such it witnessed and participated in many of the frenzied and controversial art movements which reflected the political and intellectual climate of the first three decades of the twentieth century. Muralism, the graphic arts, the incorporation of in-ternational movements had produced an artistic climate, which would eventually attract to Mexico international artists and intellectuals such as Sergei Eisenstein...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Francisco Zúñiga Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Madre Juchiteca" Large original color lithograph.
By Francisco Zúñiga
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Madre Juchiteca" 1973 is an original colors lithograph on Arches paper by renown Costa Rican/Mexican artist Francisco Zuniga, 1912-1998. It is hand signed, dated...
Category

Late 20th Century Realist Francisco Zúñiga Art

Materials

Lithograph

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Francisco Zúñiga art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Francisco Zúñiga art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Francisco Zúñiga in lithograph, paper, chalk and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Expressionist style. Not every interior allows for large Francisco Zúñiga art, so small editions measuring 15 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Graciela Rodo Boulanger, Jack Levine, and Walter Schnackenberg. Francisco Zúñiga art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $960 and tops out at $7,200, while the average work can sell for $2,500.

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