Mexican Peasant Man
Richard Davis (richarddavissculptor.com) visited Mexico and the American Southwest in 1940. He was immediately influenced by the appearance and the ways of the Mexican people and by Native American arts and crafts. On return to his studio, he carved a Mexican man and woman directly in gray granite. The man stands 19 inches and is polished smooth; the woman is 20 inches and the stone was left rough. The couple are dressed as rural folk, farmers, or peasants. These sculptures were exhibited in 1941 at Georg Jensen Inc., New York City, and elsewhere.
19" x 6" x 5"
Inherited
Yes
Hello, this item is a granite sculpture titled Mexican Peasant Man by American sculptor Richard Davis, measuring 19 inches tall. Created after his 1940 journey through Mexico and the American Southwest, this sculpture was directly carved in gray granite and finished with a smooth polish. The figure stands in a resolute, frontal pose with arms crossed and wears traditional rural attire, including a wide-brimmed hat. The minimalist treatment of volume, with simplified facial features and geometric shaping, reflects Davis’s modernist sensibilities and an empathetic approach to depicting working-class dignity.
This work is the companion to Mexican Peasant Woman, also by Davis, and together they were exhibited at Georg Jensen Inc. in New York in 1941. That context notably enhances the artwork’s provenance and value. While Davis is not widely known today, these pieces represent a tangible moment in American modernist sculpture informed by cross-cultural artistic encounters. The pairing significantly boosts value due to their intended conceptual unity. On its own, this sculpture would likely command between $2,500–4,000 USD.
