Edward Weston 1886-1958
Jean Charlot, 1933
Silver print; printed c. 1952
5 x 4 inches
Titled and credited in the hand of Dody Weston Thompson(?), in pencil verso.
Titled and credited in the hand of Dody Weston Thompson(?), in pencil verso.
This photograph is one from a collection of 'Project prints' originally owned by Jacob Zeitlin, which was acquired by Lee Witkin in 1975. Zeitlin, a Los Angeles-based bookseller and publisher...
This photograph is one from a collection of "Project prints" originally owned by Jacob Zeitlin, which was acquired by Lee Witkin in 1975. Zeitlin, a Los Angeles-based bookseller and publisher was a proponent of Edward Weston's art, and was one of the first people to exhibit his photographs at his Downtown LA bookstore.
Jean Charlot was a French-Mexican mural artist who was a leader in the Mexican Mural Movement that began in the 1920s. Louis Henri Jean Charlot was born in Paris on February 8, 1898 and attended the National School of Fine Arts in Paris. His mother was widowed by her Russian spouse and Charlot grew with an inclination toward his Mexican heritage. Charlot and his mother immigrated to Mexico City in 1921, where his mestizo grandfather and Aztec grandmother had long resided. There, Charlot came to work with fellow muralists such as Fernando Leal, Pablo o’Higgins, and Xavier Guerrero; as well as working as the assistant to Diego Rivera. In Mexico’s post-revolution scenery, art was encouraged, especially public art. Diego Rivera had powerful political connections and Charlot’s talents and relationships allowed him great opportunities. He is considered to have painted Mexico’s first “true fresco” when he finished The Massacre in the Main Temple in 1923. Charlot moved to New York in 1928, where he taught at the Arts Student League, was employed by the Works Progress Administration, and became a dual citizen of the U.S. and France. He returned to Mexico in 1945 when his publication, The Mexican Mural Renaissance: 1920-1935, was given a Guggenheim Fellowship award. Charlot took on many teaching jobs and residencies throughout the U.S. before his final relocation to join the staff at the University of Hawaii from 1949 to 1966. Charlot received the Benjamin Franklin Fellow in 1972 and the Order of Distinction for Cultural Leadership in Hawaii in 1976. He died in Honolulu on March 20, 1979. In his lifetime, he painted more than 70 murals and over 1000 oil paintings. Most of his work is held in the multiple collections in Hawaii and his paintings and murals that remain are maintained by the Jean Charlot Foundation.
Jean Charlot was a French-Mexican mural artist who was a leader in the Mexican Mural Movement that began in the 1920s. Louis Henri Jean Charlot was born in Paris on February 8, 1898 and attended the National School of Fine Arts in Paris. His mother was widowed by her Russian spouse and Charlot grew with an inclination toward his Mexican heritage. Charlot and his mother immigrated to Mexico City in 1921, where his mestizo grandfather and Aztec grandmother had long resided. There, Charlot came to work with fellow muralists such as Fernando Leal, Pablo o’Higgins, and Xavier Guerrero; as well as working as the assistant to Diego Rivera. In Mexico’s post-revolution scenery, art was encouraged, especially public art. Diego Rivera had powerful political connections and Charlot’s talents and relationships allowed him great opportunities. He is considered to have painted Mexico’s first “true fresco” when he finished The Massacre in the Main Temple in 1923. Charlot moved to New York in 1928, where he taught at the Arts Student League, was employed by the Works Progress Administration, and became a dual citizen of the U.S. and France. He returned to Mexico in 1945 when his publication, The Mexican Mural Renaissance: 1920-1935, was given a Guggenheim Fellowship award. Charlot took on many teaching jobs and residencies throughout the U.S. before his final relocation to join the staff at the University of Hawaii from 1949 to 1966. Charlot received the Benjamin Franklin Fellow in 1972 and the Order of Distinction for Cultural Leadership in Hawaii in 1976. He died in Honolulu on March 20, 1979. In his lifetime, he painted more than 70 murals and over 1000 oil paintings. Most of his work is held in the multiple collections in Hawaii and his paintings and murals that remain are maintained by the Jean Charlot Foundation.