Julio de Diego (1900-1979) - Holiday March 1947 Cover Painting

Julio de Diego (1900 Madrid, Spain -1979 San Jose, California), was a Modernist Spanish-born American artist. He left home at the age of 15 after his father destroyed "every drawing in the house." He was able to exhibit his art for the first time at a casino shortly after. He served in the Spanish forces for two years and was involved in the Rif War. After the war, Julio went no contact from his family and moved to Paris. It was there where he was exposed to Cubism, Abstraction and Surrealism. He immigrated to the United States in 1924, where he worked as a set designer, commercial artist and as a fashion illustrator. In 1926, he started to focus more on paintings and was earning awards for them. He also moved to Chicago at this time and exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1929. He would also participate in many Annual American Exhibitions, Chicago Artists Exhibitions and International Water Color Exhibitions. He was also commissioned to design the chapel doors of St. Gregory's Church in 1926. He was married to Gypsy Rose Lee for three years, then settled in California. During WWII, he supported the American Artists' Congress fighting censorship in Germany and Italy. After the war ended, he taught at the University of Denver and the Artist Equity Workshop.