In a striking photograph taken in 1928, Tina Modotti captures what feels like an iconic image of rev

In a striking photograph taken in 1928, Tina Modotti captures what feels like an iconic image of revolution—a proud woman steps forward, looking toward the horizon, partially wrapped in a flag.  But what revolution is symbolized?  The flag itself is unmarked, the location can be guessed at but not pinpointed and the historical context is vague as she stands by herself against a low rough wall with a blurry background.  This emblematic yet open composition plays off of, on one hand, a European tradition in in which women personify virtues and concepts, like Liberty—most famously in Eugène Delacroix’s 1830 painting, Liberty Leading the People.On the other hand, by keeping the woman in modern, local dress, fully clothed, and recognizable as a member of the working class, Modotti aligns her image with the impulses of the Workers Photography Movement. This international effort encouraged photographers with a socialist bent to depict everyday life, working conditions and shared struggle in images that circulated between Europe, the USSR, the United States and Central America in politically-affiliated publications.  Woman with Flag is a perfect example of how Modotti constructed an image that would fit into an art historical canon, eventually hanging in museum galleries, while also serving the goals of an international political movement to which she was deeply committed. In the image seen here, the photograph is reproduced on the 1931 cover of Arbeiter-Illustrierte-Zeitung or AIZ (The Workers Pictorial Newspaper) with a caption that roughly translates to “May 1. Day of Achievements of the Red World Army” suggesting the woman is participating, along with AIZ’s German readers, in International Worker’s Day celebrations.  A few years earlier, in 1929, the same image appeared in in New York’s New Masses with the caption, “Mexican miner’s wife picketing before a mine in Jalisco.”  In truth, the model is posed on the roof of Modotti’s Mexico City studio, helping to create an image that is simultaneously inspirational and adaptable.Posted by Saisha M. Grayson -- source link

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