Caballero with Women
Martín Ramírez, American (born Mexico), 1895 - 1963
Born in Mexico, Martín Ramírez worked for railway construction crews in California before being institutionalized for schizophrenia in 1930. He began drawing in 1948 while a patient at a mental hospital in Auburn, California, where he remained until his death. Over three hundred of his images have survived. As seen in this intricate composition, regimentation and repetitive patterning define the landscapes and imagined topographies. The traditional image of the horse and rider, as seen in Caballero with Women, provided sustained inspiration for Ramírez and was a frequent subject.