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The Rosa and Miguel Covarrubias Collection
In 1976, the Mexican Museum had the great fortune of receiving the first of many donations from the estate of Rosa Covarrubias. Secured through the generosity of Rosa's close friend, Adriana Williams, the Collection has grown to over 1,800 objects, including photographs, original drawings and gouache paintings by Rosa and Miguel Covarrubias. This extraordinary collection also includes beautiful textiles, unique ceramics from various regions of Mexico, and a stunning array of Pre-Conquest necklaces and exquisite vintage silver earrings and bracelets. The Rosa and Miguel Covarrubias Collection is truly a remarkable artistic legacy, and a fitting tribute to the illustrious couple's passion for Mexican indigenous cultures and their art.
Miguel Covarrubias and Rosa Rolanda met in 1924 in New York City. Rosa, born in Los Angeles, was a celebrated dancer with the Morgan Dancers, performing on Broadway and in Europe. Miguel was an illustrator, painter, and writer for the major Mexican newspapers, and had become America's most widely acclaimed caricaturist, appearing regularly in Vanity Fair, Fortune, and The New Yorker.
Rosa and Miguel married in 1930. Sharing similar interests in painting, dance, theater, and ethnology, they collaborated on a broad range of creative projects. They traveled all over the world, spending significant time in Europe, Cuba, Bali, China, and New York. Upon settling in Mexico, their home, at Number Five Calle de Reforma, became a meeting ground for many renowned Mexican artists and intellectuals, including Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Dolores del Rio, Antonio Ruiz, Roberto Montenegro, and Carlos Chávez. As collectors of Pre-Conquest and Mexican Popular art, they generated widespread interest in the culture, traditions, history, and art of Mexico's indigenous people.
The Mexican Museum is very grateful to Tom and Adriana Williams for donating the Covarrubias Collection to the Museum. Their benevolence has made it possible for the public to have access to this important cultural and artistic legacy. It is fitting, therefore, that we initiate the Museum's 25th Anniversary with an exhibition that not only honors the creative genius of both Rosa and Miguel Covarrubias, but also acknowledges the foresight and generosity of Tom and Adriana Williams.
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