id: 146797
accession number: 1972.219
share license status: Copyrighted
url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1972.219
updated: 2024-03-26 01:59:31.754000
Zapata, 1931. David Alfaro Siqueiros (Mexican, 1896–1974), printed by George C. Miller (American, 1894–1966), published by Weyhe Gallery. Lithograph; sheet: 61.2 x 51.5 cm (24 1/8 x 20 1/4 in.); image: 52.2 x 39.7 cm (20 9/16 x 15 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Prasse Collection 1972.219 © Artists Rights Society, (ARS), New York
title: Zapata
title in original language:
series:
series in original language:
creation date: 1931
creation date earliest: 1931
creation date latest: 1931
current location:
creditline: Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Prasse Collection
copyright: © Artists Rights Society, (ARS), New York
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culture: Mexico, 20th century
technique: lithograph
department: Prints
collection: PR - Lithograph
type: Print
find spot:
catalogue raisonne: Williams 2
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CREATORS
* David Alfaro Siqueiros (Mexican, 1896–1974) - artist
Along with Diego Rivera (1886–1957) and Jose Clemente Orozco (1883–1949), Siqueiros was one of Mexico's three great muralists. Together, these painters laid the foundation for modern Mexican art during the 1920s. Believing that art should be made for the betterment of society and not for the private pleasure of the elite, they created large-scale, easily understood murals for public buildings. These images effectively communicated the plight of peasants and laborers during this turbulent time in Mexican history.
For Siqueiros, a zealous political activist and member of the Communist Party of Mexico, painting was inseparable from politics. He worked on his first murals at Mexico's National Preparatory School from 1922 to 1924, but his dedication to politics was so great that at one time he set aside his artistic ambitions to work as a labor union organizer. He was a veteran of two civil wars and on several occasions was imprisoned, as well as exiled, for his activities and beliefs. While serving time in jail, the artist immersed himself in painting small-scale works, experiencing some of the most prolific periods of his career. During the 1930s, Siqueiros found a haven in New York and opened the Siqueiros Experimental Workshop, which was attended by the young American painter Jackson Pollock (1912–1956). In his teaching, Siqueiros emphasized the use of photography as an aid in developing compositions. He also advocated the employment of industrial materials and tools such as the spray-gun. He was a firm believer that modern technology should be used to create a new art for the times.
During the early 1950s, Siqueiros expanded his themes of a utopian socialist society to include the progress of science and technology in the modern world. Throughout his career, the bold colors of industrial enamels, the dynamic lines of his compositions, and the portrayal of strong emotion infused all his works, regardless of scale or purpose, with movement and power.
* George C. Miller (American, 1894–1966) - printer
* Weyhe Gallery - publisher
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measurements: Sheet: 61.2 x 51.5 cm (24 1/8 x 20 1/4 in.); Image: 52.2 x 39.7 cm (20 9/16 x 15 5/8 in.)
state of the work: I/II
edition of the work: edition size either 35 or 50 (both numbers are inscribed throughout the edition)
support materials:
inscriptions:
inscription: signed and inscribed at lower left, in pencil: 6/50 A. Siquieros
translation:
remark:
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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
title: Year in Review: 1972
opening date: 1973-02-27T05:00:00
Year in Review: 1972. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 27-March 18, 1973).
title: Generous Donors: A Tribute to The Print Club of Cleveland
opening date: 1991-04-02T05:00:00
Generous Donors: A Tribute to The Print Club of Cleveland. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 2-August 4, 1991).
title: A Graphic Revolution: Prints and Drawings in Latin America
opening date: 2020-03-14T04:00:00
A Graphic Revolution: Prints and Drawings in Latin America. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 14-August 2, 2020).
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LEGACY EXHIBITIONS
* {'description': 'The Latin American Spirit: Art and Artists in the United States, 1920-1970. Bronx Museum of the Arts (September 29, 1988 - January 29, 1989); El Paso Museum of Art (February 27 - April 23, 1989).', 'opening_date': '1989-02-27T00:00:00'}
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PROVENANCE
Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Prasse, Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
date: ?-1972
footnotes:
citations:
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
date: 1972-
footnotes:
citations:
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fun fact:
digital description:
wall description:
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RELATED WORKS
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CITATIONS
The Latin American Spirit: Art and Artists in the United States, 1920-1970. Exh. Cat. Bronx: Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1988.
page number: Mentioned and reproduced: p. 37, no. 17
url:
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IMAGES