Ep. 1: Artist on the Edge: Annette Nancarrow

In 1936, a talented, beautiful American artist ran away to Mexico City to escape a boring marriage, marry an exciting lover, and join the “big three” Mexican muralists—Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Siqueiros—in their exploration of socially conscious art.

Portrait of Annette by Jose Clemente Orozco

The Auction: Prologue

In 1992, a group of well-dressed men and women gathered in one of Sotheby’s auction halls to bid on Latin American works of art. There was unusual buzz and excitement around a simply executed small lithograph portraying a naked woman aborting a fetus. It was entirely monochromatic, with the exception of a few, hand-colored, crimson blotches that looked like blood. Inscribed across the top of the roughly torn sheet were the words, “Dearest Anita, I love you and the life we have together. Frida.” It’s estimated value ranged from $20,000 to $25,000.

For members of artist Annette Nancarrow's family, grouped tightly together in the middle of a row, the auction was terribly exciting. When the Kahlo piece was presented, Cherry, Howard, Xenia, and Charles grasped each others’ hands and their pulses raced. By now the temperature in the room had risen along with the crowd’s expectations. As bidding picked up, Charles felt a drop of sweat trickle between his shoulder blades. Very quickly, with anonymous bidders dominating and with rising speculation about Madonna’s well-known interest in works by Kahlo, John Marion hammered down his gavel at a final price of $48,000. It was the highest price to date for similar work by Frida Kahlo.

Charles (Annette’s son) would later say, as he related the story of the modest sketch’s journey from Mexico City to the halls of Sotheby’s, that he was thrilled at the price they received, especially because it was his wife, Xenia, who discovered it where it had fallen to the floor behind an old filing cabinet when they were going through his mother’s belongings after her death. Once again, he was reminded of the exceptional life Annette Nancarrow had lived.

The Adventure Begins

In 1936, a talented, beautiful American artist ran away to Mexico City to escape a boring marriage, marry an exciting lover, and join the “big three” Mexican muralists—Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Siqueiros—in their exploration of socially conscious art. Annette Nancarrow lived in Mexico for fifty years, took many lovers, became friends with Frida Kahlo, married two more times, painted, designed jewelry, participated in creating a famous mural, “liberated” Pre-Columbian art from the government, and led an exciting social life with the glitterati of Mexico’s golden era.

My Research

This serialized biography about Annette Nancarrow, her life, her art, and her loves, is based on several years of research I did in the United States and Mexico. I spent several years researching this fascinating woman, interviewing family members, friends, and anyone still living that could shed light on Annette's life. I reviewed documents, art, and photos, including the Anaïs Nin papers in the University of California Los Angeles Special Collections Library. Many people, some who have now passed on, contributed information or recollections and granted me permission to use materials. As was true for many talented women artists of the early half of the twentieth century—and in some respects still true today—Annette and her achievements were shunted to the edge of the spotlight.

It has been a wonderful experience getting to know a woman who lived her life fully and contributed her talents to a period of artistic endeavor still known as Mexico’s Golden Age. It is a privilege to share her story so that she becomes known to a broader audience and is not forgotten. Of course, anytime a writer is depending on the memories or partial records of another’s life, it may not be the whole story. Everyone’s memories arise from a personal context. I am writing here about a woman I admire; at times my analysis of materials no doubt reflects that bias. But it’s a good story about someone who jumped the traditional fences and fearlessly took on an extraordinary life. I think it’s inspirational and I hope you enjoy it. It is my mission to introduce a wider audience to a remarkable woman’s journey during an historic period of American and Mexican art.

All materials posted here or in other venues is copyrighted and may not be used without permission and credit. For an understanding of my approach to these posts and the difficulty in writing about someone who has already passed away and cannot verify facts for herself, please see my post Truth in Nonfiction.