Lot 77A
David Alfaro Siqueiros (Mexican, 1896-1974), "Zapata" colored lithograph, signed on lower right, ca. 1969 CE. A visually and politically impactful depiction of Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919) by one of Los Tres Grandes (the Three Great Ones, along with Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco), the Mexican social realist artist David Alfaro Siqueiros. Zapata was perhaps the most famous revolutionary leader who championed agrarian reforms, the preservation of indigenous cultures, and fought in the Mexican Revolution from 1911 to 1917. Here we see an abstract yet still figural depiction of Zapata on a white horse, such a moment of intense action; it is almost as though the horse and rider are about to charge out of the picture plane. In addition, the painterly strokes in the surrounding field amplify the dramatic quality of the scene. A fabulous piece, in a custom mat and wood frame, under glass. Size: visible composition measures 18" L x 13.375" W (45.7 cm x 34 cm); 27.25" L x 22" W (69.2 cm x 55.9 cm) in mat and frame
Siqueiros was never afraid to mix art and politics. Together with Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco, Siqueiros was one of the most significant pioneers of Mexican Muralism and depicted key political figures of the Mexican Revolution, presenting leftist political causes on a large scale. In addition to muralism, the Mexican Modernists created powerful graphic art like this lithograph which puts forth a striking posthumous representation of Emiliano Zapata (1879–1919) with its strong tonal contrasts. What's more, while he was still active in the Mexican Revolution Army, Siqueiros co-founded a group called the Congress of Soldier Artists. In addition, he, along with Diego Rivera and Javier Guerrero, started El Machete, the weekly newspaper that was the official mouthpiece for Mexico's Communist Party.
The Mexican graphic tradition has traditionally been quite impressive. Perhaps the most famous outfit associated with printmaking was the Taller de Gráfica Popular (the Popular Graphic Art Workshop or TGP) founded in 1937. This influential collective created some of the most memorable images in mid-century printmaking. Following the legacy of the legendary Mexican broadside illustrator José Guadalupe Posada, this Mexico city based workshop created graphic art and illustrated publications that were not only politically topical, but also aesthetically compelling.
Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico USA collection
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#124430
- Condition: Lithograph in overall excellent condition. Frame with a few scuffs and nicks. Old newspaper obituaries from The Wall Street Journal, The Republic, and Newsweek are taped to cardboard on verso.
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