Object Notes

Although she is not known as a printmaker, Leonora Carrington used etchings such as this to explore the occult, drafting dreamlike landscapes filled with imaginary, often grotesque creatures. Here Carrington placed dogs’ heads onto a shared, circular body; their faces sneer and scowl, each tied by the neck or snout.

This painting references La Malinche, the indigenous woman who actively cooperated in the Spanish conquest of Mexico’s territory and Christianization of its population. The children in this scene wield swords and rattles, objects instrumental in the reenactment of Matachines dances performed in Mexico and the American Southwest.

In the early 1920s, Jean Charlot visited Mexico for the first time. These lithographs, like the majority of Charlot’s work, demonstrate his observation of indigenous populations and desire to capture what he believed to be the tender and innocent spirit of Mexican culture.

In the early 1920s, Jean Charlot visited Mexico for the first time. These lithographs, like the majority of Charlot’s work, demonstrate his observation of indigenous populations and desire to capture what he believed to be the tender and innocent spirit of Mexican culture.