ANTONIO RUÍZ

Four athletes speed toward the finish line in this colorful painting of a bicycle race. With determined looks on their faces, the two leaders hunch forward and tightly grasp the handlebars, pedaling as fast as they can. It is a bright, sunny day, and many spectators have come to watch the exciting event. On either side of the cyclists, children raise their arms and cheer. Other people sit and watch from atop a high wall on the right, their legs dangling off the edge. On the left, special guests and judges observe the race from a grandstand, decorated with colorful banners that blow in the breeze. Visible in the upper left, several people have even climbed up into tall tree branches to get a better view.

Mexican artist Antonio Ruíz painted this scene of a country fair in his hometown of Texcoco, located in central Mexico. He included many details to capture the look and feel of the town. For example, the red, white, and green striped banners are the colors of the Mexican flag. Jacaranda trees, which are found throughout Mexico and Central America, loom over the street with their long branches. Ruiz also carefully depicted the different people’s clothing, such as the judges’ suits, the young boys’ shorts and caps, and the sombreros, or wide-brimmed hats, worn by many of the spectators. Ruiz often added humorous details into his paintings, such as the goat bending down to eat something in the lower right, and the sleeping dog in the lower left corner.