For Teaching Them to Read 1943

Leopoldo Méndez created ‘For Teaching Them to Read’ as a woodcut, using knives and gouges to carve an image into a block of wood, which was then inked and printed onto paper. Woodcut is an old technique, ideally suited to the graphic depiction of strong contrasts. The very nature of the material, which must be dug away to leave a raised surface, lends itself to bold, clear imagery. Look at the way Méndez has used this quality here, creating stark contrasts between the figures and their surroundings. Méndez was part of the Taller de Gráfica Popular, or People’s Graphic Workshop, a politically motivated artist’s collective, so the choice of a popular, accessible medium like printmaking was deliberate. It allowed the group to produce inexpensive images that could be widely distributed, conveying messages about social justice and Mexican identity to a broad audience. The hard work involved in carving each wood block underscores the values of labor and resistance that the image seems to depict. Ultimately, in appreciating this print, we come to understand how the choice of materials and methods is deeply intertwined with the artist’s message, challenging any division between artistic expression and social commentary.