José Moya del Pino (1890–1969)
In 1925, a young Spanish painter arrived in New York carrying 41 meticulously executed copies of the masterworks of Diego Velázquez — valued at half a million dollars and backed by the King of Spain. By the time the tour reached San Francisco, more than 500,000 people crowded into the M.H. de Young Museum to see them in just six weeks. Within a year, the money was gone, the political winds in Spain had shifted, and José Moya del Pino found himself stranded — without funds, without a path home, and without a plan. He stayed.
Over the next four decades he established himself as a prominent figure in the San Francisco Bay's artistic and cultural life: a portraitist to the intellectual and social elite, a New Deal muralist whose commissions stretched from federal post offices to the walls of the
1939 World's Fair on Treasure Island, a beloved teacher, and a founding figure of the Marin County cultural scene. His work can be found in public buildings and private collections throughout the United States — yet despite the breadth and quality of his accomplishments, he remains relatively little known today.
This website is dedicated to changing that.
Another goal of this project is to document as many of Moya del Pino's works as possible. This catalog includes hundreds of paintings and murals, but it is still a work in progress, and there are many pieces for which little is known. If you own a work by Moya del Pino, know the location of one, or can provide photographs or additional information, I would be delighted to hear from you. With the help of collectors, family members, and fellow researchers, I hope to continue expanding our understanding of the artist and his work.
About Me
I am José Moya del Pino’s granddaughter. Although I knew him only briefly as a child, I grew up hearing stories about his remarkable life and artistic career — stories that seemed almost too extraordinary to be true: a young artist from Spain who earned the patronage of the king, traveled across the world, built a new life in California, and became part of the cultural history of both Spain and the San Francisco Bay Area. As an aspiring artist myself, I was always fascinated by his work and proud of my connection to him.
Paola Coda-Nunziante,
José Moya del Pino's granddaughter
Over the years, that curiosity grew into a desire to learn more about the man behind the family stories. What began as a personal interest eventually became a larger research project. With the help of family members, historians, librarians, and researchers in both Spain and California, I gathered photographs, documents, interviews, and archival material to piece together a more complete picture of his life and career. The result was a biography — José Moya del Pino: Two Lives of an Artist, co-written with Miguel Forcada Serrano and published in 2021 — and ultimately this website, which brings together research, historical photographs, a blog, and artwork from across his long and varied career.
My hope is that this site will help preserve Moya del Pino’s legacy and introduce his life and work to a wider audience. Whether you are here to learn about the artist, explore the catalog of his work, follow the stories and research shared in the blog, or discover the biography that inspired this project, I hope you enjoy your visit and come away with a greater appreciation for his art and his story.