Francisco Díaz de León
| Francisco Díaz de León | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 24, 1897 Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes |
| Died | December 29, 1975 (aged 78) Mexico City |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Education |
Academia de San Carlos, open-air paintings school of Saint Anita, Chimalistac |
| Known for | engraving |
Francisco Díaz de León (September 24, 1897 – December 29, 1975) was a Mexican graphic artist, notable for pioneering much of modern Mexican graphic arts. He spent his childhood around books and when he studied art in Mexico City, he specialized in engraving and illustration. He spent his career illustrating books, magazines and more, reviving techniques such as dry point and introducing new techniques and styles such as the use of color and linoleum printing. He was also a noted arts education, directing several schools including the Escuela Mexicana de las Artes del Libro (now the Escuela Nacional de Artes Gráficas), which he founded. He was a founding member of the Academia de Artes and a member of the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana. In 1969 he received the Premio Nacional de Artes for engraving.
Díaz de León was born in the Triana neighborhood in the city of Aguascalientes, the son of Francisco Díaz de León and Ignacia Medina. He spent his childhood around books as his father had a book binding shop. As a youth, he gained the nickname of "El Marqués de Polainas" due to his ability to portray various personalities.
At an early age he showed artistic ability and was sent to the Academia de Dibujo run by José Inés Tovilla. After finishing primary school, he went to work with the Ferrocarril Central Mexicano . His artistic ability earned him a scholarship from the Aguascalientes state government to attend the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes, and he arrived to Mexico City in 1917 along with friend and fellow student Gabriel Fernández Ledesma . Here he studied under Leandro Izaguirre, German Gedovius and especially under Saturnino Herran, who taught him oil painting along with charcoal and pastel drawing. In 1919, Diaz de Leon joined the movement that opposed official teaching methods and favored a reorganization of the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes. Shortly after he became one of the first students of the Chimalistac Open Air School of Painting, headed by Alfredo Ramos Martinez. In 1922, he began learning engraving techniques, eventually mastering all of them.
...
Wikipedia