1938

Oil

Mexican, 1911 - 2005

In 1938, the Mexican government rallied to the cause of striking oil-field workers and took over the management of the foreign-owned petroleum companies in the country. Bracho's lithograph captures the intensity of nationalist sentiments of this time by depicting the British oil interests as a ravenous wolf gorging on Mexico's lifeblood (the British pound symbol "£" on the wolf's jacket lapel leaves no doubt as to its national identity).