Jose Moya del Pino

1891-1969

Theme/Style – Post-Impressionism, Modernism, landscapes, portraits

Media – Oils, murals

Artistic Focus – A much loved “Old World” artist, Jose Moya del Pino was born in Spain and apprenticed at the age of nine to an itinerant artist. Moya del Pino created many portraits and canvases during his career, and was widely exhibited in Northern California. Although he experimented with abstraction later in his career, he is best known for his Post-Impressionist and Modernist works.

Career Highlights –

• In 1907 he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, graduating with honors and earning a traveling scholarship, which took him to Italy, London and Paris.
• By 1915, Moya del Pino had befriended Modernist masters Juan Gris and Diego Rivera, and in 1923, he was commissioned to paint a portrait of Spain’s King Alfonso III.
• After spending four years creating 41 reproductions of Velasquez’ works, Moya del Pino was asked by the King to take those works on a goodwill tour of the New World. The tour began in 1925 and ended a year later in San Francisco.
• The artist remained in San Francisco because of political strife in his homeland, Depression-era economic realities, and his affection for the area.
• He was one of the muralists chosen by the Public Works of Art Project to paint murals in Coit Tower. His mural showed San Francisco Bay to the north and depicted fellow artist Otis Oldfield at work on a hillside overlooking the Embarcadero, with Alcatraz Island and Marin County in the background.
• Moya del Pino’s subsequent works included a mural in the Stockton post office, public art in Redwood City and San Rafael, and many works on canvas.

 

Selection of Works by this Artist

 

Bibliographic references are available upon request.