Sharecropper

Elizabeth Catlett|Elizabeth Catlett|Taller de Gráfica Popular|Elizabeth Catlett|José Sánchez

1952 (published 1968–70) · Linocut · Drawings and Prints

Catlett drew on the formal vocabularies of Cubism and Mexican muralism in works that engage social-justice issues. "Sharecropper" is a powerful portrait of an anonymous woman that calls attention to the hardships experienced by tenant farmers of the American South, who were required to pay for the land they rented with part of their crop and thus often faced lifelong debt. Catlett was deeply invested in the democratic potential of printmaking and was particularly drawn to techniques like the linoleum cut that were inexpensive to produce and could generate large editions. She created "Sharecropper" at the Taller de Gráfica Popular (People’s Graphic Workshop) in Mexico City, which was dedicated to the production of socially engaged prints."

Artist

Elizabeth Catlett|Elizabeth Catlett|Taller de Gráfica Popular|Elizabeth Catlett|José Sánchez

Date

1952 (published 1968–70)

Medium

Linocut

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

John B. Turner Fund, 1981