history assignment

"Working Woman" is a painting created by Elizabeth Catlett in 1947. It is a linoleum print depicting an African American woman holding a large gardening tool and a rag in her hand. The woman has very large, strong arms and hands, showing that she has spent many long hours in the fields. The artist herself is an African American woman who went through many struggles in her own life, her art discriminated against and her pursuit of a higher education made difficult as a result of her race. Many of her paintings depict struggles seen by members of the African-American family, particualrly females. Such females as Alica Walker, going through similar struggles, must have easily found a connection to her work.