NEW YORK, NY.- This fall, Bonhams will offer Hilando (La tejedora) (estimate: $200,000-300,000), a beautiful watercolor by renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera from the Collection of the late Dean and Jeanne Martin in the Impressionist & Modern Art sale on November 14. This previously unpublished work from the Martins’ collection can be seen in the left background of a 1966 family portrait taken at their 601 Mountain Drive home in Beverly Hills.

Famously ‘The King of Cool,’ Dean Martin’s résumé included actor, comedian, singer, film producer, entertainer extraordinaire, and of course as a charismatic member of the Rat Pack. His wife Jeanne, a former Orange Bowl queen from Coral Gables, Florida, had an affinity for the arts of Mexico, and collected pre-Columbian pottery and traditional Mexican textiles.

This tender painting, Hilando (La tejedora), shows a calm and dignified scene with an indigenous woman using a waist-loom to weave a traditional textile similar to those that the Martins collected. This intimacy shows a very important but perhaps lesser-known aspect of Rivera’s work. While he may be most famous for his murals painted during the period of cultural rebirth following the revolution, he was personally deeply committed to the history and culture of the Mexican people, particularly the indigenous population, peasants, and the most disadvantaged classes. His empathy for Mexican women and children as they went about their daily duties, faithful to their heritage and traditions, was reflected not just in his grand murals but also in intimate drawings and watercolors such as this one.

ADDITIONAL LATIN AMERICAN HIGHLIGHTS

• Diego Rivera (1886-1957) Vendedora de legumbres, 1937, watercolor and graphite on paper (estimate: $60,000-80,000)

• Miguel Covarrubias (1904-1957) Elefantes en la selva, circa 1932, oil on canvas (estimate: $150,000-200,000)

• Salvador Corratgé (1928-2014) La Salvación, 1961, acrylic on masonite (estimate: $15,000-18,000)

Bonhams Impressionist & Modern Art auction will take place November 14 at 5 p.m. in New York. The auction will preview at Bonhams from November 9-14, with highlights on view November 3-8.