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'Rear Guard' (or 'On the Road'): women carrying rifles and children

Printer George C. Miller American
1929
Not on view
Together with Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, Orozco was one of Mexico’s three most influential muralists. This print comes from a series of lithographs that Orozco created based on his 1926 mural at the National Preparatory School in Mexico City. Men, women, and children—some of whom carry rifles—probably represent civilian soldiers who fought in the revolution. Women soldiers (soldaderas) played an integral part in the battles and participated in all factions. The composition, with the figures clustered together and viewed from behind, emphasizes their group identity and collective effort.



Junto con Diego Rivera y David Alfaro Siqueiros, Orozco fue uno de los tres muralistas más influyentes de México. Esta estampa pertenece a una serie de litografías creadas por Orozco a partir del mural que realizó en 1926 en la Escuela Nacional Preparatoria de Ciudad de México. Hombres, mujeres y niños, algunos de ellos armados con rifles, representan probablemente a los soldados civiles que lucharon en la revolución. Las soldaderas —mujeres soldado— desempeñaron un papel fundamental en los combates y participaron en todas las facciones. La composición, en la que las figuras aparecen de espaldas y muy juntas, pone de relieve su identidad de grupo y su esfuerzo colectivo.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: 'Rear Guard' (or 'On the Road'): women carrying rifles and children
  • Artist: José Clemente Orozco (Mexican, Ciudad Guzmán 1883–1949 Mexico City)
  • Printer: George C. Miller (American, New York 1894–1965)
  • Publisher: Weyhe Gallery, New York
  • Date: 1929
  • Medium: Lithograph
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 15 3/8 × 21 5/8 in. (39 × 55 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1929
  • Object Number: 29.63.4
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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