Celebrate the Rich Tradition of Mexican Prints

Mexico has the longest tradition of printmaking in Latin America—the first prints created regionally in the mid-16th century were woodcuts and engravings for book illustration and devotional purposes. This continued until the mid-19th century, when lithography became the principal medium. Lithographic workshops—based mainly in Mexico City—published high-quality prints that celebrated Mexican culture and instigated change, shaping Mexico’s competing politics, identities, and collective memories.

Following the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), printmaking proved to be the ideal medium for artists wanting to address social and political concerns and voice resistance to the rise of fascism around the world. Artists also turned to printmaking to reproduce Mexican murals from the 1920s and to create exhibition posters, prints for the popular press, and portfolios celebrating Mexican dress and customs.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue from September 12, 2024, through January 5, 2025, Mexican Prints at the Vanguard explores the tradition of Mexican printmaking from the 18th to the mid-20th century through examples drawn mainly from The Met collection. 

The majority of the Museum’s collection of Mexican prints came through the artist Jean Charlot (French, 1898–1979), whose association with The Met began in the late 1920s. Charlot donated many of his own prints and works by other artists to the Museum, and in the mid-1940s, acted on behalf of the Museum to acquire prints in Mexico. The collection demonstrates The Met’s early interest in Mexican art and culture at a time when there was growing international interest in the subject. 

Among the early works presented in the exhibition are those by Mexico’s best-known printmaker, José Guadalupe Posada (Mexican, 1852–1913), whose depictions of skeletons engaged in different activities helped establish a global identity for Mexican art. 

Through woodcuts, lithographs, and screen prints, the exhibition explores how prints were central to the artistic identity and practice in Mexico, and highlights their effectiveness in addressing social and political issues, a role of the graphic arts that continues today. 

Find books, stationery, and accessories inspired by the exhibition at The Met Store.

Mexican Prints at the Vanguard

By Mark McDonald

This issue of the Bulletin explores the rich artistic legacy of printmaking in Mexico from the mid-18th to mid-20th century. Curator Mark McDonald traces the origins of The Met's remarkable holdings of nearly 2,000 Mexican prints first collected by the French-born artist Jean Charlot, who had been active in Mexico when the artform rose in prominence amid concerns of national identity following the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920). Highlighting a variety of styles and techniques including silkscreen, letterpress, and woodcut, this vibrantly illustrated publication offers a richer understanding of Mexican prints through an analysis of how they were used as modes of political expression, education, and resistance in Mexico.

Mérida Saltillo Dress Silk Neckerchief

The stylish figure on this vibrant neckerchief represents the regional dress of Saltillo, the capital of the Mexican state of Coahuila. The image comes from a silkscreen print (1945) belonging to Regional Mexican Dress, a portfolio containing 25 brightly colored prints by Carlos Mérida (Guatemalan, 1891–1984). Having encountered the work of Pablo Picasso, Amadeo Modigliani, Piet Mondrian, and Paul Klee, among other contemporary avant-garde artists, Mérida infused European modernism with Latin American themes. Though he's best known for his murals and paintings, this series reveals Mérida's talents as a printmaker and his enduring interest in indigenous subjects.

Mexican Prints at the Vanguard Stationery

Take the exhibition home with you with our pack of 10 postcards featuring images from the show, a note card pack including eight different designs, and a commemorative magnet—the perfect token of your visit to The Met, available exclusively in-store at The Met Fifth Avenue.

Met Custom Prints

Shop our full range of customizable prints reproducing a selection of images on view in Mexican Prints at the Vanguard.

Shop with us online and in-store for more unique designs inspired by The Met's holdings and exhibitions.