08/11/2024
HISTORICAL INSIGHT ABOUT THE
“THE BLIND BEGGAR, CATHEDRAL CUERNAVACA”
AND THE FRIENDSHIP OF
LON MEGARGEE AND EVE BALL
“Lost” but now revealed Lon Megargee painting of a “The blind beggar” playing guitar in the famed Cuernavaca Cathedral, 1946…
By chance, award winning author and historian Lynda A. Sánchez (Lincoln, New Mexico) and Michael Collier came to be amigos when he learned about a Lon Megargee painting in her possession since about 1982. Prior to that, this unique work belonged to noted author Eve Ball, (Ruidoso, New Mexico). Eve obtained it as “payment” for a debt owed to her by Lon. He sent her the painting rolled up in an old map carrier and hoped that would cover the debt. It did not, nevertheless, Eve had it framed and it hung on the right side of her magnificent corner fireplace since about 1950. She had once leased Lon’s Casa Hermosa as a guest ranch but could not make a go of it so that idea never reached fruition although Eve loved the rough, raw appeal of Lon’s architectural preferences. She also admired his art and wrote about her acquaintance with Lon on several occasions.
Lynda and Eve were colleagues conducting research on the cowboy and Apache culture of southern New Mexico. When Lynda saw the painting in about 1974, she was stunned by the imagery and topic. Having written about the Mexican Revolution and the poverty, struggles and life of the campesino (peasants) she asked Eve about the artist and the place where it was painted. Each day for several years she came to work with her mentor walking past the painting to Eve’s study. Then one day it was no longer in place! Asking what the fate of the painting might be Lynda was surprised when Eve told her that she wanted to give it to her as a special birthday gift! Eve was at that time about 90, and she wanted such works to go to people who would treasure them. And treasure it Ms. Sánchez did for the next forty years. It hung in her living room among other artwork of favorite southwestern artists like Howard Terpning, Bob Boze Bell, Peter Hurd, Noel Espinoza, Gene Kloss, Walter R. Henn, and Mimi Jungbluth.
