Enrique Alferez

Place: Rural Village In Northern Mexico

Born: 1901

Death: 1999

Biography:

Enrique Alferez was a renowned Mexican artist who specialized in sculpting architectural reliefs and the human form. Born in 1901 in a rural village in northern Mexico, Alferez was introduced to sculpture by his father, a woodworker. He ran away at age 12 and was conscripted into the Constitutional Army during the Mexican Revolution. In 1920, he fled to El Paso, Texas, where he found work as a photographer's assistant and attended a lecture presented by art teacher Lorado Taft.

Early Career and Education

Alferez's encounter with Taft led him to study under the artist in Chicago from 1927 to 1929. After completing his education, Alferez moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he spent much of his life. He later married an American woman named Margaret, with whom he had a daughter. His sculptures and reliefs adorn many parks, buildings, and landmarks in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, many of them commissioned by the Works Progress Administration.

Artistic Style and Notable Works

Alferez's work is characterized by his mastery of sculpting the human form. Some of his notable works include architectural reliefs and sculptures that can be found in various museums, including the Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City. Alferez's style is reminiscent of other famous sculptors, such as Jean-Antoine Houdon, who is known for his neoclassical sculptures like Muscleman Sideview.

Awards and Legacy

Alferez remained active into his later years, both as a working artist and an art teacher. In 1993, he appeared in a PBS American Experience documentary entitled 'The Hunt for Pancho Villa'. After Alferez's passing, author Katie Bowler Young began researching his work and went on to publish an extensive biography on his life titled 'Enrique Alferez: Sculptor' in 2020 through the Historic New Orleans Collection. For more information about Enrique Alferez and other notable artists, visit Enrique Alferez | Wikioo.org or check out the Discovering the Museum Gipsoteca Antonio Canova in Possagno, Italy page.

• Mexican Revolution: A pivotal event in Mexican history that shaped the country's future.
• Works Progress Administration: A New Deal program that commissioned many of Alferez's works.
• Museo Dolores Olmedo: A museum in Mexico City that houses some of Alferez's notable sculptures.
• Jean-Antoine Houdon: Muscleman Sideview: A notable sculpture by the French neoclassical sculptor.
• Historic New Orleans Collection: An organization that published a biography on Alferez's life and work.