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Head of a Mayan Woman (Head of a Mexican Woman)

A work made of lithograph in black on cream wove paper.
© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOMAAP, Mexico City

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  • A work made of lithograph in black on cream wove paper.

Date:

1939

Artist:

Raúl Anguiano
Mexican, 1915-2006

About this artwork

At the Taller de Gráfica Popular Anguiano was known as a versatile artist, especially in his favored medium of lithography, producing unsparing images of the urban poor, mordant caricatures, and idealized portraits like Head of a Mayan Woman. This composition is part of a series, begun in 1939 and based upon women from different Mexican regions and ethnic groups, that reveals the diversity of Mexican citizenry and plays upon the postrevolutionary ideal of mestizaje, Mexico’s mixed racial heritage. The monumental scale of these prints reflects not only the artist’s training as a muralist but also his deep respect for his subjects. Anguiano focused here on the sculptural qualities of the woman’s head, using subtle chiaroscuro, built up with softly crosshatched strokes of the lithographic crayon, in order to articulate her distinctive features.

Español:
En el Taller de Gráfica Popular, Anguiano era conocido por ser un artista versátil, en especial cuando se trataba de su medio preferido, la litografía. En éste produjo imágenes implacables sobre la pobreza urbana, caricaturas mordaces y retratos idealizados, tales como Cabeza de una mujer maya. Esta última forma parte de una serie que empezó en 1939 sobre mujeres de diferentes regiones y grupos étnicos de México. En ella se muestra la diversidad de ciudadanías mexicanas y se aborda el ideal postrevolucionario del mestizaje. La escala monumental de estos grabados son una expresión no sólo del talento del artista en cuanto muralista, sino del profundo respeto que le tenía a sus sujetos. Anguiano se concentró aquí en las cualidades esculturales de la cabeza de la mujer mediante el uso sutil del claroscuro, realzado con suaves trazados entramados del lápiz litográfico, para así dar forma a sus rasgos característicos.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Raúl Anguiano

Title

Head of a Mayan Woman (Head of a Mexican Woman)

Place

Mexico (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1939

Medium

Lithograph in black on cream wove paper

Dimensions

Image: 50 × 38.4 cm (19 11/16 × 15 1/8 in.); Sheet: 63.9 × 50 cm (25 3/16 × 19 11/16 in.)

Credit Line

William McCallin McKee Memorial Endowment

Reference Number

1944.737

Copyright

© 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOMAAP, Mexico City

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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