Ángel Bracho
Mexican, 1911 - 2005Las Familias Huicholas (The Huichol Families) from Mexican People portfolio, ca. 1945
Not on view
Lithograph on paper
Dimensions15 1/16 × 17 5/8 in. (38.3 × 44.8 cm)
Image: 11 3/16 × 13 3/4 in. (28.4 × 34.9 cm)
Gift of Mr. Jack B. Pierson, 1987.31.1
The Huichol or Wixárika are the oldest surviving culture that continues to practice pre-Hispanic traditions. Ceremonial practice is an important aspect of their culture, every year they complete a pilgrimage along ancient trade roots, connecting to their ancestral heritage. Ángel Bracho has likely depicted a family making their yearly pilgrimage. The man carries a quiver of arrows on his back. Arrows were significant to Huichol ritual and beliefs; they were used for prayer and to connect with the spiritual realm.
In 1928 Bracho took night classes for workers at the San Carlos Academy in Mexico City, from 1929–1934 he specialized in drawing and painting. Bracho was a member of the Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios (LEAR) from 1933 to 1938. He was one of the first to join the TGP in 1937. He was director of the TGP from 1952 to 1953 and president from 1961 to 1963.
