| Jorge González Camarena | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 March 1908 [1] Guadalajara, Jalisco |
| Died | 24 May 1980 (aged 72) [1] Mexico City |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Field | Painting, sculpting |
| Training | National School of Plastic Arts at San Carlos Academy |
| Movement | Mexican Mural Movement |
| Influenced by | Dr. Atl [1] |
| Awards | National Prize for Arts and Sciences (Mexico, 1970)[1] |
Jorge González Camarena (24 March 1908 – 24 May 1980) was a prominent Mexican painter, muralist and sculptor who received the Mexican National Prize for Arts and Sciences (Fine Arts, 1970).[1] For his portrait of Michelangelo Buonarotti, which hangs at his birthplace at Caprese, he was awarded the Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in 1967.[1]
González Camarena was born in Guadalajara, into a family composed by Arturo González and Sara Camarena, originally from Arandas, Jalisco.[1] His younger brother, Guillermo, would later be known for inventing a chromoscopic adapter for television equipment and becoming one of the best known television pioneers in the country.[1]
After being encouraged by a local instructor, he enrolled the National School of Plastic Arts at San Carlos Academy and became an apprentice of Dr. Atl. In 1929 he started to contribute and illustrate for Revista de Revistas and Nuestro México. Three years later he was commissioned to restore the 16th century Franciscan frescos at the Convent of Huejotzingo, Puebla, where he allegedly discovered contributions by Marcos Cipactli, one of the last Aztec painters and, controversially, attributed him the authorship of Our Lady of Guadalupe.[1]
He died of a brain hemorrhage on 24 May 1980. After being mourned at the Palace of Fine Arts, he was buried at the Dolores Cemetery in Mexico City.[1] In 2008, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, he was honored by the Mexican Academy of Arts, the Mexican Institute of Social Security[2] and the Soumaya Museum,[3] among others.