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c. 1956

Mother and Child

Elizabeth Catlett

Mexican (born United States), 1915 - 2012

Elizabeth Catlett moved to Mexico in 1946 and remained there until her death in 2012. Profoundly influenced by the political idealism and social-realist aesthetic of Mexican artists such as David Alfaro Siqueiros (1896–1974) and her close friend Frida Kahlo (1907–1954), Catlett developed a personal vocabulary that emphasized human rights and the dignity and strength of women of color. She created Mother and Child while working at the famous Taller de Gráfica Popular, a printmaking collective that worked to better the social conditions of the working classes, the poor, and the dispossessed.

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Resources

Mother and Child

The woman’s confident air and direct gaze in this sculpture express her inner strength and Elizabeth Catlett’s vision of what the future should hold for mothers and children all over the world.
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Represent: 200 Years of African American Art

Represent: 200 Years of African American Art and this accompanying teacher resource celebrate the innovation, creativity, and determination of African American artists.
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Elizabeth Catlett, Mother and Child, c. 1956 | Philadelphia Art Museum