Elizabeth Catlett
An artist who channeled the struggles and dignity of Black women into powerful sculptures and prints that challenged social injustice.
1915–2012 (age 97)·American artist and sculptor·Birthday: April 15·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Elizabeth Catlett carved a path through the twin barriers of racism and sexism to become a defining visual voice of the 20th century. Born in Washington, D.C., into a family shaped by the legacy of slavery, she studied art at Howard University before becoming the first student to earn an MFA in sculpture from the University of Iowa. Denied opportunities in the United States, a 1946 fellowship led her to Mexico, where she joined the Taller de Gráfica Popular, a collective dedicated to socially-engaged printmaking. She later became a Mexican citizen. For over seven decades, her work—from the serene strength of her mahogany mother-and-child figures to the searing lines of her linocuts—centered the Black, and particularly the Black female, experience with an unflinching and graceful power. More than a studio artist, she was a teacher and activist, believing art should be accessible to all and serve as a weapon for social change.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Elizabeth was born in 1915, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Elizabeth Was Born
The biggest hits of 1915
#1 Movie
The Birth of a Nation
Elizabeth's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1915Born
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Started school
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1928Became a teenager
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Could drive
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1933Could vote
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Turned 21
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1945Turned 30
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 40
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 50
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 60
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 70
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 80
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2012Died at 97
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Became the first student to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the University of Iowa in 1940.
- Created the iconic linocut series 'The Black Woman' (1946-47), a landmark in printmaking addressing race and gender.
- Served as head of the sculpture department at the National School of Fine Arts at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
- Was awarded the International Sculpture Center's Lifetime Achievement Award in Contemporary Sculpture in 2003.
Did You Know?
She was married to the Mexican painter Francisco Mora for over 30 years.
The U.S. government once denied her a travel visa, classifying her as an 'undesirable alien' due to her political activism.
Her grandson is the contemporary artist and filmmaker Gabriel de la Mora.
She designed the 'Black Unity' fist, a powerful bronze sculpture, for the 1968 Olympics.
“I have always wanted my art to service my people — to reflect us, to relate to us, to stimulate us, to make us aware of our potential.”
