#catlett

“Because I am a woman and know how a woman feels in body and mind, I sculpt, draw, and print women, generally Black women.” —Elizabeth Catlett

During her lifetime, Elizabeth Catlett achieved international fame for her powerful explorations of race, class, and her own African American female identity. Learn more about Catlett here.

“GIVE ME A LOVER NOW!! I WANT ONE I WANT ONE I WANT ONE!!„

dude wtf's wrong with Raki 😀🍹....*giggles whimsically*

In this drawing, Elizabeth Catlett portrays the demeanor of a nurse on duty in World War II. Skillfully blending graphite and crayon, Catlett depicts the figure’s facial features, her Red Cross cap, and the silvery shadow it casts across her forehead. Facing an unknown or invisible horizon, the nurse appears at once plaintive and steady. Between 1942 and 1946 Catlett produced numerous portraits of African American women workers, emphasizing their role in the American war effort. These works form part of Catlett’s wider commitment to illustrating the historic resistance, survival, and liberation of Black women.

See this portrait on view in "Art of Care" through April 4.

During her lifetime, Elizabeth Catlett achieved international fame for her powerful explorations of race, class, and her own African American female identity. As a young woman, she studied art in the United States during the Great Depression of the 1930s. At that time, art with a social message became particularly relevant, with the US government supporting public art through the Works Progress Administration and other programs. Learn more about her work in our online exhibition "Artist in Focus: Elizabeth Catlett."

Representations of a mother and child hold a special place in Elizabeth Catlett’s creative output. A limestone version of the theme, sculpted in 1940, brought her national attention. In the 1950s she returned to this theme, perhaps as an homage to her three young sons. The terracotta "Mother and Child" shown here was among the first sculptures she undertook in that decade. Learn more about her work in our online exhibition “Artist in Focus: Elizabeth Catlett.”