Art © Elizabeth Catlett/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Sharecropper, 1970
Catlett, Elizabeth
Color linocut 55/60, 18x24 inches

The endurance and power of women is a subject depicted in many of Elizabeth Catlett’s works. Sharecropper, one of her most reproduced prints, shows a white-haired woman with sharp features and a serene gaze. The bold and massive lines give emphasis to her strength, yet she still exudes an air of tranquility. The large safety pin that keeps her coat together expresses her poverty. For Catlett, visual symbols like this are a very strong and arresting form of communication.

Catlett often uses modernist styles like simplified curves and forms to impart a sense of grace and serenity. Sharecropper combines Catlett’s earlier style of expressionistic angularity with her ability to describe details realistically.