1929-1930
Great Builders II
Jean CharlotAmerican (born France), 1898 - 1979
A French-born artist of part-Mexican heritage, Jean Charlot was one of the first to receive a mural commission from the new Mexican government in 1922. Like José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros, his colleagues on the mural projects, Charlot celebrated Mexico's venerable heritage in a number of paintings and prints. His observations of local Indians at work on an archaeological excavation at Chichén Itzá in Yucatán, where he was employed as a sketch artist, inspired this lithograph of ancient Mayans building a great pyramid.
Charlot was an experienced printmaker when he moved to Mexico in 1921, and he is credited with introducing the woodcut print technique to Mexican artists shortly after his arrival. He also experimented with fine-art lithography, but only mastered the technique in New York in 1929.
This record is part of an ongoing effort to share accurate and evolving information. If you notice anything we should improve, we welcome your feedback at [email protected]
Images on this site are shared for educational use. For image rights, permissions, or to learn more about image rights and access, email [email protected]