Margarita Bertheau Odio (born in San José, Costa Rica on 13 May 1913; died in Escazú canton on 21 November 1975) was a Costa Rican painter and cultural promoter. [1][2] The Costa Rican Art Museum states that she is known for "landscapes, portraits, watercolor figures and her geometric, surrealistic and abstract work."[3] She was called the first female Watercolor painting artist in her country. [4] She had independent views and was contemporary with the first wave of Costa Rican artists that included Dinora Bolandi, Lola Fernandez and Sonia Romero. These four are famous for teaching fine art at the University of Costa Rica and to have created the second generation of Costa Rican women artists. [5]
She worked with Francisco Amighetti on a mural called Agriculture. The mural was for the presidential palace and has been called both pastoral and shocking. It depicts the peasants farming and others running in the distance as a person is being shot. [6]