Teacher

1953

Teacher, 1953. Fanny Rabel (Mexican, 1922–2008), Taller de Gráfica Popular (Mexican, 1937-). Woodcut; sheet: 50 x 32.6 cm (19 11/16 x 12 13/16 in.); image: 32.2 x 25.4 cm (12 11/16 x 10 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from funds of various donors to the Department of Prints and Drawings 2000.96 © Artists Right Society (ARS), New York Born in Poland, Fanny Rabel immigrated to Mexico with her family at a young age. She assisted Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros with murals, eventually becoming one of the few women among the circle of Mexican muralists. This print suggests Rabel’s lasting interest in issues related to social justice—especially those involving children. A teacher looks forward with a direct and dignified gaze, holding a book in her powerful hands. This image would have resonated in the years following the Mexican Revolution, during which universal public education was a central goal. Fanny Rabel belonged to a group of young artists known as "Los Fridos" who studied under the painter Frida Kahlo.