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Rudolfo Anaya

Rudolfo Anaya
Usage Conditions Apply
Artist
Gaspar Enríquez, born 1942
Sitter
Rudolfo Alfonso Anaya, 30 Oct 1937 - 28 Jun 2020
Date
2016
Type
Drawing
Medium
Acrylic on paper
Dimensions
Frame: 94.3 × 124.9 × 6.4 cm (37 1/8 × 49 3/16 × 2 1/2")
Image/Sheet: 74.9 × 104.1 cm (29 1/2 × 41")
Topic
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache
Rudolfo Alfonso Anaya: Male
Rudolfo Alfonso Anaya: Literature\Writer\Novelist
Portrait
Place
United States\New Mexico\Bernalillo\Albuquerque
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; commission made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Object number
NPG.2016.100
Exhibition Label
Born Pastura, New Mexico
The author Rudolfo Anaya once remarked, “What I’ve wanted to do is compose the Chicano worldview—the synthesis that shows our true mestizo identity—and clarify it for my community and myself.” His semi-autobiographical novel, Bless Me, Ultima (1972), tells the story of a child growing up during World War II who, with the guidance of a healer, begins to understand the mysteries of nature, morality, and spirituality. Bless Me, Ultima, which is now considered a fundamental text of Chicano literature, was acclaimed for its lyricism, its alternation of English and Spanish, and its fresh way of relaying the Mexican American experience of the Southwest. Anaya’s other books include the award-winning Tortuga (1979) and Alburquerque (1992), whose title references the original spelling of the city’s name. The El Paso artist Gaspar Enríquez, who created this depiction of Anaya, is celebrated for his portraits that enhance our understanding of Chicano identity on the local, regional, and national stage.
Nacido en Pastura, Nuevo México
“Lo que he tratado de hacer es componer la visión de mundo chicana—la síntesis que revela nuestra verdadera identidad mestiza—y esclarecerla para mi comunidad y para mí mismo”, ha dicho el autor Rudolfo Anaya. Su novela semiautobiográfica Bless Me, Última (1972), ambientada en tiempos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, narra la historia de un niño que, guiado por una curandera, comienza a entender los misterios de la naturaleza, la moral y la espiritualidad.
Bless Me, Última, considerada actualmente un texto fundamental de la literatura chicana, fue elogiada por su lirismo, su alternancia entre inglés y español, y la frescura con que relata la experiencia mexicano-americana en el sureste estadounidense. Otros libros premiados de Anaya son Tortuga (1979) y Alburquerque (1992), título este último que alude al nombre original de la ciudad. Esta imagen de Anaya es obra de Gaspar Enríquez, artista radicado en El Paso cuyos retratos han sido celebrados por fomentar una mejor comprensión de la identidad chicana en el ámbito local, regional y nacional.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view