Leopoldo Méndez

1896–1942

A seated man with a cigarette in hand turns his head

Leopoldo Méndez was a graphic artist and muralist with a strong political and social disposition. Highly motivated by Post-Revolutionary ideals in Mexico, Méndez was an instrumental public art leader and an influential founder of the Taller de Gráfica Popular (Popular Graphic Art Workshop). His work was celebrated through the 2001 Permanent Collection exhibition, Leopoldo Méndez: Hacedor de imágenes de un pueblo. The NMMA has one of the largest collections of his prints in the U.S.