Jose Agustin Arrieta

José Agustín Arrieta was a costumbrista painter born in the Intendencia de Puebla (today Tlaxcala) in 1803. The present edition of his work provides a unique and vibrant glimpse into nineteenth-century life in Puebla, where Arrieta lived and worked throughout his life.
The pages of this book are filled with Arrieta’s signature still lifes, an art form that he resurrected with great skill and skill, portraying the typical delicacies of Mexican food. Its realism in the texture and bright colors of the fruits, as well as the realistic effect of the glasses and crystals, make these images come alive on the page.
Beyond still lifes, Arrieta also captured everyday scenes and living characters from the streets and haciendas of Mexico. His works offer a unique window into the era, showing the diversity and irreverence of nineteenth-century mestizo Mexico. This book also includes reproductions of famous paintings such as “Tertulia de pulquería”, “La cocina poblana” and “Vendedores de horchata”, among others. Here he also explores Arrieta’s life, his influences, and his time at the Puebla Academy of Fine Arts. It examines how his independent, counter-current approach led him to a life of economic modesty and lack of popular recognition in his day, and how his legacy was eventually rescued by later historians and critics.
This volume of images by José Agustín Arrieta is an essential addition for any lover of Mexican art and history. It offers an intimate and personal insight into an era and culture that still resonates in Mexico’s national identity. Its careful selection of works and the insightful narration that accompanies make this book an invaluable visual and cultural experience.