Las vendedoras de flores

Alfredo Ramos Martinez

c. 1935–38

Tempera and pastel on heavy cardboard

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Five women walk in profile, carrying baskets of flowers on their heads and in their hands. They are depicted in a stylized, earthy palette against a blue sky. Five women walk in profile, carrying baskets of flowers on their heads and in their hands. They are depicted in a stylized, earthy palette against a blue sky. A leading proponent of Mexican modernism, Alfredo Ramos Martínez is best known for his late work celebrating the Indigenous peoples of his homeland. This drawing, executed after he had settled in the United States in 1930, is a romanticized scene of daily life featuring a procession of young women carrying baskets of fresh flowers to a public market. They are flower sellers from Xochimilco, a region south of Mexico City famous for its floating gardens and flower fields. Wearin