Alberto Beltrán
Mexican, 1923 - 2002El Trapiche de Azúcar (The Sugar Mill) from Mexican People portfolio, 1946
Not on view
Lithograph on paper
Dimensions15 1/4 × 17 5/8 in. (38.7 × 44.8 cm)
Image: 11 5/16 × 14 in. (28.7 × 35.6 cm)
Gift of Mr. Jack B. Pierson, 1987.31.5
Haciendas have existed in Mexico since the mid-18th century. The hacienda system was similar to the European feudal system, where indebted peasants working the land in poor conditions for meager wages. In this print, Alberto Beltrán depicts workers on a sugar hacienda in central Mexico.
Sugar haciendas during the Porfiriato – the presidency of Porfirio Díaz – were important to Mexico’s economy. The monopoly over land and water resources by haciendados (hacienda owner), the harsh working conditions, and peasant frustration helped give rise to the Mexican Revolution.
Beltrán joined the TGP in 1944, rising to prominence in the group of artists that were known to be the post-war generation of printmakers in the workshop.
