Jean Charlot

1898–1979

A seated man with his back toward the viewer turns his head

Jean Charlot was a painter, muralist, and illustrator that arrived in Mexico at the height of the Mexican Renaissance. While assisting with archaeological excavations at Mayan temples, Charlot would copy bas-reliefs. This iconography, also central to understanding Mesoamerican architecture, would influence his artwork and mural practice. Alongside “Los tres grandes”, Charlot participated in Mexican muralism and is credited with completing the first fresco mural in Mexico City in 1923.