Masterpiece Story: La Tehuana by Germán Gedovius

La Tehuana

A brown-skinned woman sits in a wooden chair while she carries her child. In her left hand, she holds a rattle, but the baby seems more entertained by the huipil’s embroidery. The mother’s necklace, made of green or blue stones, matches the ribbon tied in her hair. A traditionally-made jar with a blue design sits on the armrest.

The only decoration visible in the room is a frame on the wall with no clear image. A pink flower and a rosary hang from it, which may indicate the religious theme of the unseen painting. The rest of the space is filled with broad strokes of paint in yellow, orange, red, and green tones. In fact, the entire scene is bathed with warm colors that create an intimate atmosphere.

In the lower middle region, Gedovius added in capital letters, “Tehuana”. To its right, he signed with the text: “Germ. Gedovius. Mexico.”

Germán Gedovius

Germán Gedovius Huerta (1866–1937) was born in Mexico City, Mexico, although he moved to San Luis Potosí soon afterward. In 1882, he returned to the capital to study painting at the San Carlos Academy. Years later, he went to Germany to try out treatments for his deafness and to continue his education as an artist. Contact with European art influenced his training and shaped his identity. This self-portrait, for example, shows him in a Flemish traditional attire.

Upon his return to Mexico in 1893, he became an influential artist who participated in exhibitions at the Academy and others organized by the state. He also worked as a professor at the San Carlos Academy and taught some of the greatest artists of the next generation, namely, Diego Rivera, Ángel Zárraga, and María Izquierdo.

Motherhood in Mexican Art

In 19th-century Mexico, mothers were seen as the main educators of morals. Later on, in the revolutionary and post-revolutionary Mexico of the 20th century, images of mothers became a pillar of the government’s nationalistic narrative. Artists created dozens of paintings, murals, sculptures, and monuments that cemented the importance of these women. There was a clear link to the Catholic faith of the majority of Mexicans, in which these works of art recalled the theme of the Virgin Mary and Child. But this is not just any mother. This is a mother from the Tehuantepec region.

Women from Tehuantepec in Mexican Art

Germán Gedovius’ painting forms part of a long tradition of Tehuan women in Mexican art history. Here are three examples from the 20th century:

There is a fundamental difference in Gedovius’ work, though. Unlike the previous examples, the woman in his painting does not wear the traditional resplendor (type of headdress) that is so striking and appealing to viewers. Rather, he positions her in a domestic scene. There is no one there to impress, no one there to pose. She is simply enjoying some quiet and private time with her baby.

Gedovius chose to clarify to the viewer that the woman in the painting is a “Tehuana.” But why? This could have been any indigenous mother and her child. Why would he remark on her specific identity?

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec

As the narrowest part of the country, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec served as a connecting region between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, ideal for commerce. Culturally and politically, the indigenous communities (mainly Zapotec) preserved their traditions despite colonization. In the 20th century, the state used them as a tool to spread a narrative where indigenous communities played a fundamental role in Mexico’s national identity.

The image of Tehuan women was particularly exoticized and exploited, seeing as the local gender dynamics were unusual. The population of Tehuantepec was disproportionately female-dominated, due to men leaving the region for economic and social reasons, pushing women to traditionally male-dominated areas. There are accounts as far as the 17th century that detail the participation of Tehuan women in rebellions against Spanish dominance.

A Mixture of Traditions

Gedovius did not include the most appealing parts of the Tehuan women’s attire in his painting, but added elements that speak about the mixed-race nature of this family. The objects around (jar, rattle, chair, and necklace) are not completely indigenous. They all have foreign influence.

Gedovius placed a rosary to remind the audience of the Catholic faith adopted from the Spanish colonizers. It represents a testimony to the mixing of costumes that make up the identity of all Mexicans, according to the state’s narrative promoted in the 20th century.

This painting is more than a heartwarming image of a mother and child. Behind it are centuries-long politics, gender issues, and artistic traditions.

Today, this masterpiece belongs to the Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) in Mexico City, Mexico. It is currently part of the temporary exhibition Disputar la mirada: Imaginarios visuales de las mujeres indígenas (Dispute the stare. Imaginary Visual of Indigenous Women), on view until July 5, 2026.