Catlett, Elizabeth (1915-2012)
Peones Mexicanos.

1952.

Linocut on paper, an unnumbered artist's proof signed by Catlett in pencil on the lower blank margin, titled on verso; 11 ¼ x 7 in.

"On childhood visits to her maternal grandparents farm in North Carolina, Catlett learned first-hand of the economic plight faced by sharecroppers, a term that described tenant farmers (many of whom were former slaves) who paid for the land they rented with a portion of their crops. It was a system that trapped many sharecroppers in a life of toil without just reward. When she arrived in Mexico, Catlett took her creative lead from the muralists and other socially motivated artists she mixed with at the artist collective, Taller de Gráfica Popular. [...] While in Mexico, Catlett learned of the concept of mestizaje, a term that describes the blending of Indigenous and European bloodlines, and Mexican cultures. She saw a further parallel between the experiences of agrarian workers in Mexico and the sharecroppers in the United States." (Quoted from The Art Story: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/catlett-elizabeth/)

Condition
For inquiries about condition, please contact:
Devon Eastland, Senior Specialist: deastland@swanngalleries.com
Grace Meschery-McCormack, Cataloguer: gmccormack@swanngalleries.com