The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 30, 2026

A horizontally oriented black-and-white photograph depicts a man with a medium skin tone lying on dusty ground. His head is turned sideways, eyes fixed open, with blood pooling beneath him and staining his face, striped shirt, and extended right arm. He wears light-colored pants and a patterned belt. Harsh overhead light casts deep shadows, while a dark, draped cloth hangs in the background. In the upper left corner, another person's foot peeks into the frame.

Obrero en huelga, asesinado

1934

Manuel Álvarez Bravo

(Mexican, 1902–2002)
Mexico
gelatin silver print
Gift of Alan and Monah L. Gettner 2023.197.13
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

It is the artist’s personal outlook and cultural heritage that unify the disparate subjects photographed by Manuel Alvarez Bravo.

Description

Manuel Alvarez Bravo sought to represent the viewpoint of Mexico’s Indigenous cultural heritage and its peasants as he chronicled their encounter with the country’s rapid modernization. His work is often considered Surrealist, but he never formally identified with that art movement. The odd juxtapositions, occasional humor, and quixotic viewpoint of his images may derive from growing up in a culture that contains both Indigenous and European traditions.
  • ?–2023
    Monah Gettner, Hyperion Press, Ltd., New York, NY, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    December 4, 2023–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Obrero en huelga, asesinado|url=false|author=Manuel Álvarez Bravo|year=1934|access-date=30 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2023.197.13