Untitled

Mérida employed lithography, a planographic print process that allows for fluid, tonal gradations. His lines are clean and deliberate, blending modernist abstraction with folk motifs. The compositions emphasize flat planes and rhythmic contours, avoiding perspective in favor of decorative harmony. The restrained palette—predominantly black ink on white paper—heightens the graphic impact, aligning with contemporary trends in Latin American printmaking.

Created in 1937, the portfolio was likely produced in limited numbers for private or institutional distribution. It entered the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, where it remains part of its permanent holdings. Its preservation as a bound volume reflects its original intent as a curated artistic object, not merely a series of individual prints, underscoring Mérida’s attention to the physical presentation of his work.

Mérida produced this work during a time when Mexican artists were actively redefining national identity through art. Influenced by both European modernism and indigenous aesthetics, he sought to create a visual language that was neither purely traditional nor entirely foreign. This portfolio aligns with broader efforts by artists and intellectuals to elevate folk culture as a legitimate source of modern artistic expression.

The portfolio stands as an early example of Mérida’s synthesis of modernist form and Mexican subject matter. While less widely known than his murals, this series influenced later generations of printmakers in Latin America who sought to balance abstraction with cultural specificity. Its presence in MoMA’s collection affirms its role in the international recognition of Mexican printmaking as a significant 20th-century art form.