Embarazada (a.k.a. Soldier's Wife, Soldadera, Soldier's Widow, Mujer Gravida)

Jose Clemente Orozco

One of five lithographic images done on zinc plates and printed by George C. Miller in October of 1929 and exhibited at Weyhe Galleries. All five were directly based on murals Orozco had done at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria in Mexico City between 1923 and 26.

This is an unsigned proof, probably outside the edition of 100, there is also a reverse edition of 100, counterproofs. Neither edition was consistantly signed and were not individually numbered.

Hopkins notes on page 19: "A few of Orozco's lithographs were curiously printed in reverse. Justino Fernandez knows of no aesthetic motivation whatever. A few of these are signed, and hence, known to have had Orozco's authorization and approval. This occaissional 'trick' printing was probably for the benefit of a few steady collectors. In most cases, the number of reverse copies is unknown, and evidence proves that they rarely matched the quality of the original edition. One reason for the counterproofs might be that the image of the counterproof image would match the direction of the original drawing on the stone.