Emma Reyes was a realism painter and writer from Bogota, Colombia considered the “godmother” of Latin American art for the portrayals of her life struggles in her paintings.

Emma Reyes reportedly grew up as an illegitimate child in a windowless room in Bogota. She had no water or toilet, only her devices to keep herself and her sister alive.

When she was 19, Emma Reyes was able to leave the convent. She got married and had a child. Her child subsequently died in a home burglary. She soon fled to Paris and began her life as a painter and in 1943, received a scholarship to study in Paris.

Emma Reyes’s Biography

Emma Reyes born on July 9, 1919, and died on July 12, 2003, was a realist painter and writer from Bogota, Colombia. She portrayed her life’s struggles in her paintings, and she is considered the “godmother” of Latin American art. Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez encouraged her to write and those who knew her paintings said they were very old and very rare.

Emma Reyes is known for her book The Book of Emma Reyes: A Memoir. Her mother abandoned her when she was six or seven. Emma Reyes and her sister were sent to a convent and dur ing her stay at the monastery, she was not allowed any contact with the outside world.

When she was 19, Emma Reyes was able to leave the convent. She got married and had a child. Her child subsequently died in a home burglary. She soon fled to Paris and began her life as a painter and in 1943, received a scholarship to study in Paris.

Much of Emma Reyes’ work relates to the obstacles she faced in her life and poverty. Despite the atrocities that she experienced in her childhood, she created colorful images with animals and plants, striving to convey a positive message through her work.

Emma Reyes had no education and was considered “illiterate”, still, she wrote letters and compiled them into her book. She was best known for her writings, but less so for her paintings. Many of her paintings were unnamed. Instead, they were distinguished by what they represented. Most of her early works were a representation of the life she had left behind.

“Unknown (Goat)” Emma Reyes utilized vibrant colors and painted mainly plants and animals. Her goal was to use vibrant colors in order to represent her personality. Her paintings such as this one, were done by color pencils and a board. The background of this painting is a pastel yellow with pastel green grass while there’s a white cow drinking milk from a blue bucket.

“Figurine” This painting portrays a human figure built from garbage that implies children’s imagination, but then destroyed by the evil in this world. “Burning Villages” In this painting Emma Reyes intended to show loneliness in a town that’s corrupted and surrounded by economic issues, cruelty, and abandonment. It represents the struggle she and her sister faced.

Most of Emma Reyes’ work is in the Essex Collection of Latin America and her work is also preserved in the Perigord Museum Archaeological Museum. Before publishing her book, The Book of Emma Reyes: A Memoir Emma Reyes didn’t want her grammar changed.

Because she was uneducated, the errors in her writing represent the hardships she experienced while writing her book, and the hardships she survived in childhood, such as poverty which is also related to The book consisted of her 23 letters and was the only form in which she could write. The letters are dated from 1969 to 1997.

Emma Reyes was known for having difficulty organizing her thoughts while writing. Luckily, her solution was to write a letter. The first letter of the book begins with the most obvious. It was her childhood that led to her life thereafter.

Emma Reyes’s Nationality

Emma Reyes was a Colombian born in Bogotá, Colombia

Emma Reyes’s Net Worth

Emma Reye’s net worth isn’t known but she reportedly has an estimated net worth between $100k – $200k.

Where is Emma Reyes from?

Emma Reyes is from Bogotá Colombia’s sprawling, high-altitude capital. It’s also home to popular museums including the Museo Botero, showcasing Fernando Botero’s art, and the Museo del Oro, displaying pre-Columbian gold pieces.

How old is Emma Reyes?

Emma Reyes died on July 12, 2003, at age 84.

Emma Reyes’s Height & Weight

The height and body weight of Emma Reyes isn’t known.

Emma Reyes’s Career

Emma Reyes is a famous painter whose work relates to the obstacles she faced in her life and poverty. Despite the atrocities that she experienced in her childhood, she created colorful images with animals and plants, striving to convey a positive message through her work.

Emma Reyes had no education and was considered “illiterate”, still, she wrote letters and compiled them into her book. She was best known for her writings, but less so for her paintings. Many of her paintings were unnamed. Instead, they were distinguished by what they represented. Most of her early works were a representation of the life she had left behind.

“Unknown (Goat)” Emma Reyes utilized vibrant colors and painted mainly plants and animals. Her goal was to use vibrant colors in order to represent her personality. Her paintings such as this one, were done by color pencils and a board. The background of this painting is a pastel yellow with pastel green grass while there’s a white cow drinking milk from a blue bucket.

“Figurine” This painting portrays a human figure built from garbage that implies children’s imagination, but then destroyed by the evil in this world. “Burning Villages” In this painting Emma Reyes intended to show loneliness in a town that’s corrupted and surrounded by economic issues, cruelty, and abandonment. It represents the struggle she and her sister faced.

Most of Emma Reyes’ work is in the Essex Collection of Latin America and her work is also preserved in the Perigord Museum Archaeological Museum. Before publishing her book, The Book of Emma Reyes: A Memoir Emma Reyes didn’t want her grammar changed.

Because she was uneducated, the errors in her writing represent the hardships she experienced while writing her book, and the hardships she survived in childhood, such as poverty which is also related to The book consisted of her 23 letters and was the only form in which she could write. The letters are dated from 1969 to 1997.

Emma Reyes was known for having difficulty organizing her thoughts while writing. Luckily, her solution was to write a letter. The first letter of the book begins with the most obvious. It was her childhood that led to her life thereafter.

Emma Reyes’s Marital Status

Emma Reyes is known to have married after leaving the convent at the age of 19 before fleeing to Paris to live her life as a painter but there is nothing known about who her husband was.

Emma Reyes’s Family & Siblings

There is not much known about the family and siblings of Emma Reyes aside from the fact that she has a sister with whom their mother abandoned but there is nothing known about her father as he’s not been mentioned anywhere.

Why is Emma Reyes famous?

Emma Reyes was famous as a realism painter and writer from Bogota, Colombia considered the “godmother” of Latin American art for the portrayals of her life struggles in her paintings.

Emma Reyes’s Children

Emma Reyes is known to have had a child while married but subsequently died in a home burglary. There is no information or evidence to show that Emma Reyes had another child when she moved to Paris hence we can say she was childless when she died as her only known child died before she fled to Paris.

Emma Reyes’s Social Media

Emma Reyes isn’t known to have any social media account even though there are a lot of social media handles with the same name but we believe none belongs to her as it doesn’t portray her works or who she was before dying in 2003 when social media was still emerging.