The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 28, 2024

Sharecropper

Sharecropper

1952
(American, 1915–2012)
Sheet: 76.2 x 56.5 cm (30 x 22 1/4 in.)
© Catlett Mora Family Trust / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Elizabeth Catlett asserted that in her artworks, she hoped to "present black people in their beauty and dignity for ourselves and others to understand and enjoy.”

Description

Proud of her heritage—three of her grandparents had been slaves—the artist Elizabeth Catlett devoted her career to exposing persecution and commemorating the courage, endurance, and achievements of African American women. The sharecropper's worn but proud face is framed by a large straw hat, her jacket fastened by a safety pin. She embodies the suffering and strength of Black women. The angularity of her features derives from West African masks, an influence Catlett purposefully evoked.
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art (1/26/2014 - 5/18/2014); "Our Stories: African American Prints and Drawings"
  • {{cite web|title=Sharecropper|url=false|author=Elizabeth Catlett|year=1952|access-date=28 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1996.289