The Protagonist of an Endless Story

Angel Rodríguez-Díaz, The Protagonist of an Endless Story, 1993, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible in part by the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool and the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1996.19, © 1993, Angel Rodriguez-Diaz
Copied Angel Rodríguez-Díaz, The Protagonist of an Endless Story, 1993, oil on canvas, 72 x 57 7⁄8 in. (182.9 x 147.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible in part by the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool and the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1996.19, © 1993, Angel Rodriguez-Diaz

Artwork Details

Title
The Protagonist of an Endless Story
Artist
Date
1993
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
72 x 57 7⁄8 in. (182.9 x 147.0 cm.)
Copyright
© 1993, Angel Rodriguez-Diaz
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible in part by the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool and the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — writer — poet
  • Occupation — writer — novelist
  • Portrait female — Cisneros, Sandra — knee length
  • Landscape — plant
Object Number
1996.19
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1996.19

Artwork Description

Known for his richly textured and painterly style, Angel Rodríguez-Díaz spent the last several decades painting portraits of important cultural icons of San Antonio and the Southwestern United States. The "protagonist" of this painting is renowned Chicana novelist and poet Sandra Cisneros, best known for her debut novel, The House on Mango Street. Cisneros stands before a fiery sunset, dressed in a traditional Mexican skirt embroidered with sequined imagery that refers to her profession as a writer. Her commanding pose, reminiscent of historic European portraiture, proclaims that she will endure in her native landscape. In the work's title, as well as its composition, the artist asserts that Chicanx culture will not be erased.

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