Elizabeth Catlett

Elizabeth Catlett (April 15, 1915 - April 2, 2012)

Not only is Elizabeth Catlett known for being one of the greatest women artists of the 20th century, but she is also most known for being one, if not the only, prominent African American woman artist of her time. Her artwork depicted human condition, historical figures, social issues, and women. She moved to Mexico after she "was harassed by the House Un-American Activities Committee for her left-wing political beliefs" (Chadwick 318). Like many artists of her time, she was restricted professionally because of her race and sex. She was the granddaughter of slaves, and so she and her family has had a long history of being discriminated against. She was denied admission into Carnegie Institute of Technology because she was black, so instead, she enrolled into Howard University and continued on to the University of Iowa where she was the first student to receive a master's degree in the fine arts of sculpture.

While she was in Mexico, Catlett produced a series of works which were dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement that was changing the world at this time. She created "The Negro Woman," a series of linoleum cut series dedicated to the black women who faced many trials and tribulations throughout the time and "renders visible the fears, struggles, and achievements of ordinary African American women" (Herzog). Each linoleum cut had their own title, which described the relation many black women had in common with each other and other historical figures important to their identity. Among the different titles, a few that truly stick out are "In the fields," "In Harriet Tubman I helped hundreds to freedom," and "A Special Fear for My Loved Ones." These titles describe the difficult conditions the women had to face in the fields, and it made known the fact that it was not only the colored men who struggled with slavery and discrimination.

Catlett's "The Negro Women" (1945) portrays the trials and tribulations the black woman faces in their daily routines

Catlett's sculpture called "Mother and Child" displays the role of maternity and childhood figures in relation to each other. Her sculpture depicts a motherly persona who embraces her child with love and acceptance. Protection is also a big theme in her work as it showcases the role the mother should have for her child in terms of the importance a strong female will have in her child's life. As such, Catlett builds a sculpture that is aimed for mothers to see just how important their role is.

Catlett, 1968, Homage to My Young Black
Sisters,  showcases an empowered black
woman

Another one of Catlett's sculptures, "Homage to My Young Black Sisters," exhibits a female figure with her fist in the air, empowered. The figure of the woman has "powerful legs and hips, the very act of their standing imbuing them with a force like nature" (Keyes). The brown life-sized figure expresses black power, and the oval space in the torso and stomach area of the figure emphasizes the strength of the womanly figure and the power of their wombs.

In a linoleum cut named "Malcolm X Speaks for Us," Catlett paid homage to the historical figure Malcolm X, who led black power against segregation in the United States. Although she was living in Mexico, the Civil Right Movement in the United States was a global matter that was made apparent in the news and media in many other nations. The print stressed the importance of the legacy and impact Malcolm X had on decades to come. These works had a huge influence on contemporary artists today by encouraging other artists to remember their roots and express the oppression they did and still are facing in many of the works they do.


Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society: 302 Illustrations, 78 in Colour. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2002. Print.

Keyes, Allison. "Black, Female And An Inspirational Modern Artist." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.

Melanie Anne Herzog, Elizabeth Catlett: In the Image of the People (The Art Institute of Chicago and Yale University Press, 2005), 9.