San Miguel Allende 1936

Hale Woodruff created this oil painting, San Miguel Allende, sometime in the 20th century. It depicts a Mexican town in a style that blends American modernism with the influence of Mexican muralism, which was a prominent artistic and political movement. Woodruff was deeply interested in the social role of art, and during the 1930s he worked with Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He understood the power of art to represent and critique social realities. The simplified forms and bold colors are reminiscent of Rivera’s style, which aimed to communicate directly with a broad public. Woodruff depicts the architecture and landscape of San Miguel Allende, perhaps commenting on the town’s history and culture as well as the relationship between tradition and modernity. The church in the background reminds us of the cultural and institutional role of religion in Mexican society. To fully understand Woodruff’s work, one might look into his biography, his travels in Mexico, and the broader context of the Harlem Renaissance, a time of great Black artistic and intellectual production.