Vintage Mexican Black and White Linocut Print “The Carousel” by Leopoldo Mendez

Leopoldo Méndez, an artist from Mexico whose work was fraught with pain, horror, and incredible pathos, was a man who captured the rural beauty, struggle, and emotional force of early twentieth century Mexico. One of the most important Mexican artists of his generation, Méndez was deeply influenced by political and social activism. Méndez grew up one of eight children, and his parents died when he was quite young. This early loss deeply impacted his quest and dedication to leftist political causes. He remained faithful, to a large degree, to the political beliefs of his youth in Post Revolutionary Mexico. In wider circles, Méndez was a relatively obscure figure during his life, and remains less widely known than his importance deserves. The reasons for this generally relate to the fact that he believed in working collaboratively and anonymously for the good of society rather than for monetary gain. The socialist and communist themes of his work also fell out of favor with later generations. Despite this, he has received meaningful posthumous recognition, with Mexican scholarship considering him to be the successor to graphic artist José Guadalupe Posada. This striking black and white linocut print, titled El Carrusel, also known as Carousel or The Merry Go Round, is attributed to Leopoldo Méndez and signed and dated “Méndez 49” in the lower right margin, with an additional inscription in the lower left. Méndez created this linocut for the opening credits of the film Pueblerina, directed by Emilio Fernández and shot by Gabriel Figueroa, two greats of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Film collaborations offered a new creative avenue to Méndez, who had long aspired to make graphic murals and to create prints on a monumental scale. While other images from the film depict scenes of labor or hardship, here Méndez illustrates a melancholic moment of leisure. The composition depicts figures riding a carousel, rendered with dramatic carved lines, dense black and cream contrast, expressive faces, and a powerful sense of movement. What might first appear to be a simple scene of leisure becomes something deeper, more intimate, and more haunting in Méndez’s hands. The piece is framed under glass in a dark wooden frame with textured linen matting. A rare and important work connected to one of Mexico’s most significant printmakers, this piece would be especially compelling for collectors of Mexican modernism, Latin American art, political printmaking, social realist art, Golden Age Mexican cinema, and twentieth century graphic work.