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Man

Artist Elizabeth Catlett (American, 1915-2012)

Date1975 (printed 2003)

Dimensions26 × 17 7/8 in. (66 × 45.4 cm)

MediumWoodcut and color linocut

ClassificationPrints

Credit LineGift of Ray W. Clarke in memory of Gayle Paul

Object number

2007.31

Not on View

Label TextIn a career spanning some 70 years, Elizabeth Catlett practiced her philosophy of “art for the people,” declaring: “Art…belongs to everyone. Artists should work to the end that love, peace, justice and equal opportunity prevail all over the world.” In addition to portraits of friends and family, her art has addressed injustices, tackling controversial issues such as lynching and racially motivated violence in the U.S., the C.I.A.’s involvement in Central America, and Mexico’s discrimination against its indigenous peoples. Though celebrated as a sculptor, Catlett, who worked much of her career in Mexico, was also an accomplished printmaker—a medium she championed for its reproducibility and relative accessibility. She wanted her art to “present black people in their beauty and dignity for ourselves and others to understand and enjoy.”