Ricardo Martínez (Mexico City, 1918 - 2009) followed in the footsteps of his brother, sculptor Oliverio Martínez. He lived in the United States but returned to Mexico in 1932 after the Great Depression, where he enrolled at UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) to study law, a career he abandoned to dedicate himself to painting. He studied at the Academia de San Carlos (San Carlos Academy of Fine Arts) although he soon became self-taught. 

In 1943, he met Federico Cantú, who taught him techniques such as tempera, gouache, and watercolor, and introduced him to the Galería de Arte Mexicano (Mexican Art Gallery), where he befriended Juan Soriano, Günther Gerzso, and Luis García Guerrero. In addition, he designed sets and illustrated books such as Muerte sin fin by José Gorostiza and Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo. He received several awards, including the Moinho Santista Acquisition Award at the São Paulo Biennale (1964), the Medal of Mexico City in 2008, and was named emeritus artist by the Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (National Fund for Art and Culture) in 1993. Martínez stood out for his pictorial style, which eliminated decorative elements and focused on the human figure, aiming for a monumental representation which in turn reduced physiognomic features, thus revaluing drawing.