Past Exhibition

Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist

Three women's faces standing side-by-side. The two on either side are face each other and the middle one is facing straight ahead.
Elizabeth Catlett, J. K. Fine Art Editions Co., Joseph Kleineman, Maureen Turci, Links Together, 1996, lithograph on wove Arches paper, Purchased as the Gift of Art Information Volunteers in Honor of Dianne Stephens, 2021.63.1

Details

  • Dates

    -

  • Locations

    East Building

    Exhibition Lobby East Bldg, Concourse Gallery Lobby

Three women's faces standing side-by-side. The two on either side are face each other and the middle one is facing straight ahead.
Elizabeth Catlett, J. K. Fine Art Editions Co., Joseph Kleineman, Maureen Turci, Links Together, 1996, lithograph on wove Arches paper, Purchased as the Gift of Art Information Volunteers in Honor of Dianne Stephens, 2021.63.1

Committed to both craft and causes, this visionary artist-activist continues to inspire us today.

One of the defining artists of the 20th century, Elizabeth Catlett addressed the injustices she witnessed and experienced in America and Mexico through her bold prints and dynamic sculptures. See more than 150 of her creations in this exhibition, including rarely seen paintings and drawings.

Trace the career of this cultural force—from her roots in Washington, DC, Chicago, and New York to the remarkable body of work she made during some 60 years in Mexico. In striving to make art for the people, Catlett put social justice at the very center of her work.

Explore selected works

  • This print shows two barefooted children engaged in play. The child on the left has brown skin and black hair gathered into three bunches, and they wear a dark blue dress with circles of lighter blue. Their eyes are closed, and they are smiling. They face us, with their left arm upwards and the other stretching towards a red ball slightly below the center of the print. The child on the right has brown skin and short black hair, and they wear a light blue long-sleeved striped shirt, a bright blue vest, and yellow pants. This child faces the left, and their eyes are also closed, with both of their hands reaching towards the bright red ball. The background is a textured pattern in gold and brown tones.
  • This print shows a woman working in a field with a hoe. The woman wears a white dress with the sleeves rolled up and a wide-brimmed hat, and she stands amidst rows of plants or crops. She has dark skin, and her face is mostly obscured by the brim of the hat. Behind her, on the right, a small wooden building can be seen on the horizon. The sky above has some dark horizontal lines. The print uses bold, black lines on off-white paper, and a wide border of blank paper surrounds the print.
  • This print displays two women from the waist up, seated closely together, facing each other. The woman on the left has her chin resting on her fist, her elbow on the table. She has dark skin and dark hair pulled into a smooth updo behind her head, and she is wearing a light-colored top with long sleeves and a yellow earring in her ear. Her head is turned toward the other woman, and she leans forward slightly. The woman on the right has dark skin and short, curly, dark hair, and she wears a pale green, floral-patterned, long-sleeve shirt. She faces the woman on the left. The women's faces seem to glow with pale yellow light, as if there is a light source directly above them. They are holding hands, their forearms resting on a flat white surface. The background behind the women is made up of horizontal red and white stripes of different thicknesses.
  • Printed with black against cream-white paper, a woman pointing to our right nearly fills this vertical linocut. Her body is angled slightly to our right, and she looks off in that direction with hooded eyes. She has wide cheekbones, a thin upper lip, full lower lip, and her mouth is closed over a pointed chin. Her head is covered in a patterned cloth, and she wears a knee-length coat over a long skirt. A knapsack hangs across her torso, and she braces the barrel of a rifle with her right hand, to our left, as she points with the other hand. Two people with short, dark hair stand behind her and to our right. The front person wears pants, square-toed shoes, and a jacket over a shirt. Bracelet-like objects on his wrists could be broken shackles. The other person touches that man’s arm. A fourth person digs in the background to the left. The ground, trees, hills, and sky are dense flicks, slivers, and strokes. The artist signed the sheet in the bottom right corner under the image, “Elizabeth Catlett.”
  • This print shows two representations of a woman's face and neck. The depiction on the left shows her looking forward, facing us, while the depiction on the right shows her turned to the right in three-quarter view. In both depictions, she has a neutral expression. The woman has dark skin, high cheekbones, straight eyebrows, and full lips. She has long black hair that appears to be in a half-up style, framing her face with tight curls. The background consists of irregular black and white shapes and patterns. The print is surrounded by a border of off-white paper.
  • In this print, three women are shown from the waist up, standing closely together. The central woman faces us with a slight smile, while the two women on either side are turned toward the center. The three women are holding hands, with the central woman's wrists crossed over her chest. All three women have brown skin and black hair, and wear garments with varying patterns in white and green. The woman on the left has short curly hair and wears a green garment with round, white, mandala-like shapes, and she has a small gold earring in her ear. The woman in the center has straight hair that falls around her ears and wears a V-neck garment with thin green and white crosshatched lines and white flower patterns. The woman on the right has her hair in a bun on the top of her head, with short, straight bangs across her forehead. She wears a green garment with white rings and flowers and has a large, round, golden earring in her ear. Behind the women, the background is gold, and at the top of the print is a line of layered green leaves.
  • This is a black and white print of a woman shown from the waist up, her body facing us and her head turned to the right. She is holding a stick or the end of a tool in front of her with both hands. The woman has prominent cheekbones, a long nose, deep-set eyes, and lips set in a neutral expression. Her skin is mostly dark, with some small while lines providing highlights and texture. She wears a white headscarf tied at the back and an apron over a long-sleeved striped shirt or dress. She has small circular earrings. The background is mostly black, with two areas of thin, zigzagging lines behind the woman's head.

Stories

Elizabeth Catlett in her studio, 1942

Article:  Who Is Elizabeth Catlett? 12 Things to Know

Meet a groundbreaking artist who made sculptures and prints for her people.

Video:  Master Printmaker LaToya Hobbs Creates a Woodblock Print Inspired by Elizabeth Catlett

Master printmaker LaToya Hobbs creates a woodblock print portrait of Naima Mora, referencing the sculpture Naima created by Elizabeth Catlett.

Video:  Print Like a Great: Elizabeth Catlett

What happens when legacy, artistry, and womanhood collide? LaToya Hobbs creates a stunning woodcut portrait of Naima Mora, inspired by the life and work of legendary printmaker Elizabeth Catlett—Naima’s own grandmother.

Events

This print displays two women from the waist up, seated closely together, facing each other. The woman on the left has her chin resting on her fist, her elbow on the table. She has dark skin and dark hair pulled into a smooth updo behind her head, and she is wearing a light-colored top with long sleeves and a yellow earring in her ear. Her head is turned toward the other woman, and she leans forward slightly. The woman on the right has dark skin and short, curly, dark hair, and she wears a pale green, floral-patterned, long-sleeve shirt. She faces the woman on the left. The women's faces seem to glow with pale yellow light, as if there is a light source directly above them. They are holding hands, their forearms resting on a flat white surface. The background behind the women is made up of horizontal red and white stripes of different thicknesses.

Film Series :  Friday Afternoons with Elizabeth Catlett

Through June 27

A sculpture of a woman holding a small child in her lap.

Talks & Conversations:  The Sculpture of Elizabeth Catlett

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A man and a woman looking into each other's eyes with serious expressions on their faces.

Talks & Conversations:  Gallery Talk—Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist

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A boy and a girl playing with a ball.

Guided Tours:  Exhibition Tour—Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist

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A sculpture of a woman holding a small child in her lap.

Talks & Conversations:  The Sculpture of Elizabeth Catlett

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Publication

Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies

Add this revelatory look at the artist and her life to your library.

Read more

Organization
Organized by Brooklyn Museum and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in collaboration with Art Institute of Chicago.

Curated by Dalila Scruggs, Augusta Savage Curator of African American Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum; Catherine Morris, Sackler Senior Curator, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum; and Mary Lee Corlett, former Associate Curator of Modern Prints and Drawings (retired), National Gallery of Art with Rashieda Witter, Curatorial Assistant, National Gallery of Art, and Carla Forbes, Curatorial Assistant, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum.

Other Venues:

  • Brooklyn Museum of Art, 09/13/2024–01/19/2025
  • Art Institute of Chicago, 08/30/2025–01/04/2026

Sponsors
Leadership support has been generously provided by Lugano.

The exhibition is also made possible through support from Dr. N. Anthony and Robyn Coles, Sheila Johnson, the Terra Foundation for American Art, and the Henry Luce Foundation.

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The image depicts a seated woman in a half-body portrait within an ornate gold-colored border. She is sitting upright with her hands in lace gloves in front of her. The woman has a composed expression, short hair, and wears a dark dress with lace details. The background is plain, emphasizing the details of her attire and the frame. No jewelry is visible.

Exhibition:  Remember Me

The image features curved and flowing lines in a blend of muted and vibrant colors. Two figures are depicted: one cloaked in a dark shadow and the other elongated with pale, flowing robes. The scene suggests a shoreline with wavy lines resembling water. The surrounding landscape portrays sweeping curves and indistinct shapes reminiscent of hills or mountains in the distance.

Exhibition:  Tinker Tinker