Olvera Street Scene

Artist Ben Messick (1901 - 1981)

Date1935

MediumWatercolor on paper

Dimensions8 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (21.6 x 29.2 cm)

ClassificationsPainting

Credit LineGift of The Hilbert Collection

Object number2020.048

DescriptionIn the center of the Old Plaza where the city of Los Angeles began is Olvera Street. It is an area that was set aside in the 1920s to formally recognize the Mexican heritage of the region. The street itself was set up with shops and vendors that sold handmade items from Mexico. To this day it has remained a favorite place for people go to eat good Mexican food and shop. In the 1930s artist Ben Messick frequently visited the Old Plaza to sketch interesting people and on occasion chose to depict scenes of people shopping and hanging out on Olvera Street. For Messick and other young artists this was an opportunity to paint scenes of subject matter that would normally require a trip south of the border.

- Gordon McClelland

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