NEW YORK, NY.- Tina Modotti and Edward Weston, two of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, shared a personal and artistic partnership during their years together in Mexico from 1923 to 1926. Points of Convergence: Tina Modotti & Edward Weston in Mexico, 1923–1926, a new exhibition at Throckmorton Fine Art from June 26 through September 13, 2025, presents more than 30 photographs by Modotti and nearly 30 by Weston from a collection built over 35 years by Spencer Throckmorton. Also included in the exhibition are four small vintage shots of Modotti and Weston by the painter Carlos Romero Orozco.

The exhibition celebrates a seminal period in which Modotti and Weston were at the forefront of defining modern photography. Immersed in the post-revolutionary cultural renaissance, they drew inspiration from Mexico's landscapes, people, and a vibrant avant-garde community of friends, including artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Modotti evolved beyond being Weston's muse to becoming a pioneering photographer in her own right, blending modernist aesthetics with a commitment to social justice, while Weston honed his mastery of abstraction and form. Their collaboration, shaped by passion and shared creativity, left an enduring legacy in photography, elevating it as an art form and documenting the profound human and cultural spirit of their time.


Edward Weston, Guadalupe Marín de Rivera, 1923-24. Gelatin silver print, printed later, 9 x 7 in.


Points of Convergence presents a rare collection of images that capture everyday life, and intimate portraits rendered with exquisite clarity. During their Mexican sojourn, Edward Weston abandoned the soft-focus pictorial style in favor of an uncompromising exploration of form and texture, while Tina Modotti embraced a modernist vision imbued with social and political engagement. Together, their lenses documented a pivotal era in art and history, discovering Mexico as both muse and subject. Highlights include evocative still lifes, dynamic portraits, and sweeping landscapes that reflect the mastery of Weston’s precise compositions and capture Modotti’s subtle interplay between light, shadow, and socio-political commentary.

“Points of Convergence is a tribute to the visionary spirit of Modotti and Weston,” notes Spencer Throckmorton. “Their work encapsulated the energy, optimism, and complex social currents of 1920s Mexico and continues to resonate with contemporary audiences, reminding us of photography’s enduring power to provoke thought and emotion.”

Tina Modotti

Tina Modotti (1896–1942) was an Italian photographer, model, actress, and revolutionary political activist. Born in Udine, Italy, she emigrated to the United States as a young woman, settling in San Francisco. Modotti began her career as an actress and model, eventually gravitating to photography under the mentorship of renowned photographer Edward Weston. In the 1920s, Modotti moved to Mexico, where she became deeply involved in the vibrant artistic and political scene. Her photography flourished, blending modernist aesthetics with social themes—capturing workers, Indigenous people, and scenes of everyday life with sensitivity and depth. Modotti’s images often reflected her commitment to social justice and her association with leftist movements. Beyond her artistic contributions, Modotti was an ardent activist, participating in political activities and aiding revolutionary causes, which eventually led to her expulsion from Mexico. She continued her political work in Europe and lived in several countries before returning to Mexico in the late 1930s. Tina Modotti’s legacy endures as a pioneering artist who merged creative vision with a passionate dedication to social change, leaving an indelible mark on the history of photography and activism.

Tina Modotti’s work has been the subject of major exhibitions around the world including Tina Modotti: Photographs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1977; Tina Modotti: A Fragile Life at the KunstHausWien, Vienna, 1996; Tina Modotti: Photographer and Revolutionary at Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, Paris, 1996–1997; Tina Modotti: Image, Art, Life at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2000; and Tina Modotti: Life and Photography at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, 2002. Her photographs have also been featured in group and traveling exhibitions at institutions including The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Fundación MAPFRE, Madrid; Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland; Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin; the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington D.C.; the Royal Academy of Arts, London; and La Casa Azul, Mexico City. Important books include the monograph Tina Modotti: Photographer and Revolutionary, edited by Margaret Hooks, Pandora Press, 1993; Tina Modotti: Photographs, edited by Sarah Lowe, Harry N. Abrams, 1995; Tina Modotti: The Mexican Renaissance, edited by Sarah M. Lowe, Harry N. Abrams, 1999.


Tina Modotti, Calla Lillies, 1925-27. Platinum print, 12.50 x 10.25 in.


Edward Weston

Edward Weston (1886–1958) was one of the most innovative and influential American photographers of the twentieth century. Born in Illinois, Weston’s early fascination with photography blossomed after receiving his first camera at age sixteen. He moved to California in 1906, establishing himself as a portrait photographer before gradually shifting his focus from the popular soft-focus pictorialism of the time to a bold, sharply detailed style he called “straight photography.” His travels to Mexico in the 1920s, alongside artist Tina Modotti, profoundly inspired his artistic evolution. Weston’s iconic images—ranging from luminous nudes and natural forms like peppers and shells to the dramatic landscapes of Point Lobos—exemplify his technical mastery and his devotion to clarity, form, and the inherent beauty of his subjects. A founder of the influential Group f/64, Weston championed pure, unmanipulated photography and played a central role in shaping the direction of American modernism. He became the first photographer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1937, creating a vast archive of images from across the American West. Though Parkinson’s disease curtailed his later career, he continued to supervise the printing of his negatives, with the help of his sons. Weston’s legacy endures in the world’s major art museums and in the generations of photographers he inspired, celebrated for his relentless curiosity, technical innovation, and the timeless artistry of his vision.

Major exhibitions of Weston’s work have been on view in museums around the world including Edward Weston Retrospective curated by Beaumont Newhall at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1946; Edward Weston: Fifty Years at the San Francisco Museum of Art, 1970; Edward Weston: Photography and Modernism at The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C., 1986; Edward Weston: The Last Years in Carmel at the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, 2001; and Edward Weston: Portrait of the Young Man as an Artist at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2013. Numerous books include: Daybooks of Edward Weston, Vol. I: Mexico; Vol. II: California, edited by Nancy Newhall, George Braziller, 1961; Edward Weston: The Flame of Recognition, edited by Nancy Newhall, The Museum of Modern Art, 1965); Edward Weston: His Life and Photographs by Ben Maddow, Aperture, 1973); Edward Weston: Photographs by Edward Weston, Aperture, 1978); Edward Weston: Life Work by Dody Weston Thompson et al., Lodima Press, 2003); Edward Weston: The Last Years in Carmel by David Travis, Art Institute of Chicago, 2001; Edward Weston: A Legacy by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Publications, 2003.

Throckmorton Fine Art Upcoming Art Fairs and Exhibitions

Whitehawk Antique Indian & Ethnographic Art Show | Aug. 8-11, 2025, Santa Fe, NM
Surrealism & Photography, 1926-1999 | Sep. 25-Nov. 8, 2025 | Throckmorton Fine Art, NY