PETRINA MUSEUM ONCE HOUSED WORKS OF INTERNATIONALLY RENOWN CLASSIC LITERARY ARTIST

By Juan Montoya
A landmark building in the heart of downtown continues to stand as a beacon of one of the art and literary world’s brightest stars who at one time made her home in Brownsville.
The Carlotta Petrina Museum, housed in the old Casa Blanca Hotel at 1452 E. Madison St., housed some of the artist’s depictions of classical literary works including her depiction of the great Renaissance Italian poet Toquato Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered.
But the large frame canvas paintings that adorned its many exhibit rooms are but a tiny part of the late artist’s enduring legacy. Among her works acclaimed by scholars in universities of the United States and the world are included drawings for such classics as John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, John Dryden’s translation of Virgil’s Aenid, and Douglas Norman’s South Wind.
Books with her illustrations are sold on the Internet and by rare book sellers from New York to San Francisco.
“I walked in one day and looked at some of the paintings in the rooms and I was simply amazed that a person of such talent actually lived in Brownsville and that they are available for the public to see,” said Andres Arguelles, a college student at the University of Texas-Brownsville and  Southmost College. “Usually you have to travel to large cities to see works of this quality.”

Born in Kingston, N.Y., in 1901, Carlotta Petrina developed a passion for the classics at a young age. She traveled around the world and visited Italy extensively where she soaked up the works of the great classical artists there.
She then translated her experience to illustrating the classics and taught at Pratt University. Her work garnered her critical acclaim and earned her the respect of literati all around the world. She married Italian-born artist John Petrina, and both garnered fame among Italian circles for their work. She was still painting in 1997, when she died.
The museum is located at the corner of  Madison and 15th Streets in Brownsville's Historic Downtown District, only three blocks from the Rio Grande River.
According to the Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts, “ the Casa de Cultura Carlotta Petrina is a charming venue that is near and dear to those that have enjoyed dozens of cultural events held there and many others over the past 7 years. A few moments within its chalky walls, listening to the fountain in the patio, and you'll think you're in Mexico.”
The house itself is considered a historical heritage site by the City of Brownsville. It was built in 1900 for local merchant M.H. Cross, who had large retail stores on both sides of the Rio Grande. It served variously as a store, a bakery, and a hotel. Today, citrus trees and figs dot the property and the main building is next to the Pertina home, which also held many of her paintings.
Petrina’s illustrations in Milton's classic book, "Paradise Lost", won her two Guggenheim fellowships. She was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1933 and 1935. She exhibited works from 1990 to 1994 in New York City; in Sangerties, New York; in Brownsville, Texas (where she lived at the time of her death); and in Matamoros, across the Mexican border.
Some of the paintings in the museum deal with Tasso’s LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA (Jerusalem Delivered, 1575). Its hero was the leader of the first Crusade, Godfrey of Bouillon; its climax was the capture of the holy city. In the 1570s Tasso developed a persecution mania which led to legends about the restless, half-mad, and misunderstood author. He died a few days before he was due to be crowned as the king of poets by the Pope.
Since her death and the death of her son Tony, the Petrina estate has been taken over by Tony's widow,  Mrs. Sonia Camporese Petrina. Her mother in law was Carlotta Petrina. She is said to working on getting the museum opened again to promote the fine arts, culture and finding joy in living a meaningful life.
She was one of the founders of Tepeyac Walk C.O. which will be housed in this location.
Hilda Ledezma, a member of Tepeyac, said the organization is working on a web page for the organization.
"Our dream is to get this project going and there is a lot to be done as well as a lot of funding needed." Ledezma said.
It is unknown what plans the group has for the works of the late artist.