Guanajuato, Gto., August 22, 2019.- As part of the collection of precious goods held by the University of Guanajuato, a painting made by Angela Icaza was found that for many years was thought to be the authorship of the painter Juan Cordero.

Angela Icaza was a Mexican woman of the nineteenth century, one of the few who could access the Academy of San Carlos, a school dedicated to the teaching of architecture, painting, sculpture and engravings that was created in 1781 and that was exclusively for men until the year 1886.

The Restaurateur and Coordinator of Furniture of the Auxiliary Office of the Property Denotative Commission of Precious Goods of the University of Guanajuato, Alfonso Mario Martín Varela was the one who discovered the true authorship of the painting called "Portrait of an Alien". This, while cleaning the painting varnish that would originally be part of a salon dedicated to the painter Juan Cordero in the Museum of the University of Guanajuato that is nearing opening.

"It was a great surprise to find that the painting had been painted by a woman because in the nineteenth century few were the women who could access the Academy, besides they did not take the same classes, for example, they were not given anatomical drawing. That's why we were even more surprised to find a painting in which he painted a woman with many details on her face, the painting has an impressive quality and dominates the use of color," the restaurateur said.

He also stressed the importance of giving credit to the painter and that the University of Guanajuato has a work of such relevance, which can be appreciated by all those interested in the university museum.

Martín Varela mentioned that it was believed that the work was by Juan Cordero because the University of Guanajuato has several paintings of him, "it is known that in the nineteenth century, Juan Cordero came as a guest of Luis Monroy, who was the director of the chair of drawing and painting. He invited him to promote his work and make paintings on request.

In addition, he apparently had no signature and the historian Salvador Toscano in his book 'Juan Cordero and the Mexican painting of the nineteenth century' integrates this painting into the annotated catalogue of unsigned paintings, which is why it was always thought that the work belonged to Cordero".

A stroke of chance generated a historical claim at the University of Guanajuato, one that will remain in the memory because it is proof that the women of the nineteenth century dared to paint, even without receiving the same education as men; they dared to do politics, question social conventions and give themselves a space in the world.

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