Carlos Mérida (1891 –1985) was a Guatemalan artist and naturalized Mexican who was one of the first to fuse European modern painting to Latin American themes, especially those related to Guatemala and Mexico. He was part of the Mexican muralism movement in subject matter but less so in style, favoring a non-figurative and later geometric style rather than a figurative, narrative style. Mérida is best known for canvas and mural work, the latter including elements such as glass and ceramic mosaic on major constructions in the 1950s and 1960s. One of his major works 4000m2 on the Benito Juarez housing complex, was completely destroyed with the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, but a monument to it exists at another complex in the south of the city.
Born in Guatemala City, Merida spent his first ten years in Guatemala before moving to France in 1901. Living in Paris for 4 years, Merida was exposed to the leading avant-garde artists, including Picasso, Modigliani, and Van Dongen, and witness the rise of modern art. After returning to Guatemala in 1914, he partnered with sculptor Yela Gunther to launch a short-lived art movement for the indigenous people. Relocating again to Mexico Merida found a greater audience for his folk themed paintings, receiving a commission to execute a mural for the Secretaria de Recursos Hidraulicos with Mexican Muralist Mario Pani. During his work with Pani, Mérida became captivated with a concept called "plastic integration” involving the seamless combination with both art and architecture. During this period Merida executed a mural for the Benito Juarez Housing Project, later destroyed by the Mexico City earthquake in 1985. Partnering in 1932 with Mexican artist Carlos Orozco Romero, Merida opened the Secretariat of Public Education's School of Dance, for which he painted several ballet scenes.
A truly international artist Merida forged links between Guatemala, Paris, Mexico and the United States. Carlos Mérida is represented in many collections including: The Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco; the Museum of Dallas; the Museum of Modern Art in Sao Paulo; and the Museo de Arte Moderna in Caracas.
© 2025. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Carlos Mérida or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only
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| Carlos Mérida |
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| Study in Curves, c. 1925 |
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| Untitled, c. 1928 |
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| Untitled, c. 1945 |
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| El Nahuatl, c. 1950 |
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| Dancers of Tlaxcala, c. 1952 |
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| Epitalamio, c. 1968 |
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| Madre Terra, (Mother Earth), c. 1972 |
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| Exposición de Diseños Homenaje en su 80 Aniversario, c. 1971 |
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| Ventana al infinito, c. 1972 |
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| Carnaval, c. 1974 |
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| Untitled, c. 1975 |
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| Gemelos, c. 1977 |
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| Figuras abstractas, c. 1978 |
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| Figures with Pipes, c. 1978 |
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| La Endecha, c. 1978 |
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| Manifestatió, c. 1978 |
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| The haunted little house, c. 1978 |
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| Untitled, c. 1978 |
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| Characters, c. 1980 |
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| Lázaro y la noche, c. 1980 |
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| En Tono Mayor, c. 1981 |
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| Untitled , c. 1981 |
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| When you hear the lark sing, c. 1981 |
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| Noº. 1, c. 1982 |
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| Characters of table number 14, c. 1984 |
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| Los Guerreros, c. 1997 |
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| Ave de lira |
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| El encantador de pájoros |
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| Untitled |
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| Ritmo lirico |
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