The second of sixteen siblings, contemporary Mexican sculptor Oliverio Martinez de Hoyos was born in 1901. His younger brother, Ricardo became a painter (see October 28 post). After going to the US to work in 1925-27, Oliverio discovered his affinity for sculpture. Unfortunately he also contracted tuberculosis while there, which greatly shortened his life.
His early work was primarily bronze busts but he then moved to his strength: monumental sculpture. His crowning glory was The Monument to the Revolution, completed in 1938, coincidentally the year of his death. He won the right in a competition of artists to complete the monument, which was begun in 1911, and was originally designed to support the Legislative Palace. The project was abandoned for 10 years, then re-purposed in 1921 for the International Trade Exhibition. Finally in 1934 Martinez was chosen to complete the monument to his design specifications. He addresses the themes: Independence, Reform Laws, Agrarian Laws, and Workers' Laws, completed in four stone sculptural groups. The monument is said to wed Cubism with pre-Columbian art, creating an art deco work and introducing Contemporary sculpture to Mexico.
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