Jean Charlot Mexican (born in France, active in Mexico and the United States)
First Steps (1946)
Lithograph
Ackland Art Museum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Gift of W.P. Jacocks
Known as the “Champion of the Everyday,” French artist, Jean Charlot used his Mexican background to convey ordinary, but significant life events through his art. First Steps depicts a scene of a mother, identified by her nightgown, helping her child take her first steps, a private event that Charlot has chosen to make public. Supporting her child with a blanket, the large bold features of Charlot’s mother show her strength and willingness to do anything for his child, a heroic trait in domestic life. First Steps’ simplicity, a black and white lithograph with minimal detail, emphasizes the intimate relationship within a domestic environment championing the simplicity of the working class life, a common Charlot theme.
~Crystal Abad
An extended look at Charlot’s First Steps by Crystal Abad
Next Exhibition: ~ Nature ~