Elizabeth Catlett
American, active in Mexico, 1915-2012
Special Houses, from The Black Woman (formerly The Negro Woman) (published 1946-47)
INV-1843
Elizabeth Catlett
American, active in Mexico, 1915-20121946, printed 1989
Special Houses, from The Black Woman (formerly The Negro Woman) (published 1946-47)
Elizabeth Catlett American, active in Mexico, 1915-2012 →linocutprints and drawing
Date
1946, printed 1989
Medium
Linocut on cream wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 10.8 × 15 cm (4 5/16 × 5 15/16 in.); Sheet: 20 × 25.5 cm (7 7/8 × 10 1/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by The Leadership Advisory Committee
The I Am the Black Woman series (previously called Negro Women) is composed of 15 linocuts accompanied by explanatory titles and texts. The series celebrates the courage and determination of female heroines of African American history, as well as the valor, integrity, and resolve of ordinary women. The Art Institute’s three prints from the series focus on the daily struggles of African American women. Aesthetically, the entire series is characterized by an emphasis on figural simplicity. A palpable sense of movement and a lack of excessive detail are visible throughout the series. This print, Special Houses, addresses the issue of segregated housing and the experiences of African Americans in crowded northern cities.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
![And a Special Fear for My Loved Ones, from The Black Woman [formerly The Negro Woman] (published 1946-47)](https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/431acafc-2f01-28f1-dbfc-2259708271a7/full/400,/0/default.jpg)
