The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 31, 2026

A vertically oriented black-and-white photograph depicts a collage of a vintage corset advertisement. Several light-skinned women in undergarments frame the composition alongside prices and text like "Our Reducing Corsets." Centered and secured by four pushpins is an anatomical drawing of a human torso in profile, facing right. The diagram reveals internal structures including the spine, heart, and digestive system, partially obscuring the illustrated women behind it.

El sistema nervioso del gran simpatico

1929, printed 1974

Manuel Álvarez Bravo

(Mexican, 1902–2002)
Mexico
gelatin silver print
Gift of Alan and Monah L. Gettner 2023.197.5
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=El sistema nervioso del gran simpatico|url=false|author=Manuel Álvarez Bravo|year=1929, printed 1974|access-date=31 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2023.197.5