Francisco Mora
Mexican, 1922 - 2002Hominaje-al-Guerrillero-Latino-Americano, 1974
Not on view
Woodcut on paper
Dimensions11 1/8 × 15 5/8 in. (28.3 × 39.7 cm)
Gift of Mr. Jack B. Pierson in memory of Mr. Robert Martin Purcell, 1980.17
Francisco Mora joined the Taller de Gráfica Popular (TGP) in 1941. The TGP was a collective center dedicated to the creation of sociopolitical art. Members of the TGP were artists and activists dedicated to social justice and reform. Graphic works were used as a means of educating the working class and exposing abuses, fascism and imperialism. Dedicated to social justice and reform goals of the Mexican Revolution the TGP helped aid the fight for civil rights, formation of organized labor, and campaigns against fascism, effecting social and political movements in Mexico and the United States Mora’s membership in the TGP led him to produce socially conscious works.
The imagery that Mora portrays in this print reveals the inclination of many Mexican artists to depict recent political and social tragedy in terms of a traditional Christian iconography. The imagery of two figures mourning over a deceased individual is reminiscent of the Deposition, a scene depicting the lowering of Christ's body from the cross while his followers lament his death. Here the deceased may be a victim of guerrilla warefare. Since the early 20th century Latin American countries saw an increase in guerrilla warfare in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Nicaragua.
