Mexican People: 12 Original Signed Lithographs by artists of the Taller de Gráfica Popular, Mexico City
Published 1946, Associated American Artists, New York (in collaboration with the Taller de Gráfica Popular and La Estampa Mexicana, Mexico City)
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Description: 12 lithographs (10 in black and white; 2 in color) by 10 members of the Taller de Gráfica Popular. 12 loose plates in portfolio cover (cloth boards) with index sheet and map. Méndez contributed the drawing for the portfolio cover and one of the 12 lithographs.
Date: 1946 (printed), 1947 (published)
Dimensions (cm): 38.5 x 44.8 (15 3/16 x 17 5/8 in.) (each plate)
Published edition: 250 of complete portfolio. At least 1,700 of each individual print. See commentary, below.
Signature and annotations: Impressions are signed in graphite, lower right.
References: Prignitz 604-616. (print by Mendez: Prignitz 606)
Selected additional references (illustrated): Monsiváis et al. 2002, 103 (gouache study for portfolio cover)
Cataloging note: Edition impressions were printed on "cartulina Marquilla de 65 kilos." Sheet dimensions of hand-pulled proofs: 12 7/8 x 17 1/4 in.
Contents (includes the following print by Méndez): Grinding Maize
Commentary: Originally conceived in concert with the Council for Pan-American Democracy, a left-wing organization in New York, the Mexican People project was completed with Reeves Lewenthal of Associated American Artists. Lewenthal commissioned 1500 copies of 12 prints, 10 in black and two in color. José Sánchez pulled a small number of proofs at the TGP, after which the stones were sent to the American Book and Printing Co. in Mexico City to print the edition. Over 1700 copies were printed of each print in the portfolio (and in one case, as many as 1842). 1500 of each were sent to the AAA in New York, and the remainder were retained by the TGP or La Estampa Mexicana. Méndez also designed the portfolio cover, which was printed commercially in New York. The AAA only printed 250 copies of the cover, and many sources give that as the number of copies in the edition. Later, the AAA printed a less elaborate cover with the title Mexican art, a portfolio of Mexican people and places, containing only the 10 black and white prints. The cover was printed on light cardstock and included a detail from Méndez's cover illustration. An unknown number of copies of this edition was released. The AAA also sold the prints individually. (Deborah Caplow and Peter Schneider)
Catalogue record number: 310
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