Sharecropper
- Artist
- Elizabeth Catlett, American (active Mexico), 1915–2012
- Publisher
- Taller de Gráfica Popular, Mexico City, Mexico, founded 1937
- Date
- 1952, printed 1970
- Material
- Color linocut
- Classification
- Prints
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 21 7/16 x 20 3/16 in. (54.4 x 51.3 cm)
- Credit Line
- The Sidney S. and Sadie Cohen Print Purchase Fund
- Rights
- © 2021 Mora-Catlett Family / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
- Object Number
- 4:2008
NOTES
"Sharecropper" reveals Elizabeth Catlett’s lifelong concern for the marginalized and the dignity of women. Vivid markings create this anonymous woman’s weathered skin, textured white hair, and broad-brimmed straw hat. Fatigue is evident in her eyes, and a makeshift safety pin holds her lightweight jacket closed. She represents the many sharecroppers who rented land in an agricultural system that Catlett felt kept thousands of African Americans in a cycle of poverty. By focusing on the enduring strength of poor laborers, Catlett hoped to “find a voice to speak for people who do not have one.”
In 1946, Catlett moved to Mexico City, Mexico. There, she worked with the People’s Graphic Workshop, a printmaking collective dedicated to using art to promote social change.