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The Revolutionist (a man holding a rifle viewed from behind)

ca. 1929–30
Not on view
Tamayo is one of Mexico’s best-known artists. His woodcuts from the 1920s and early 1930s are unlike anything created by his contemporaries. They represent a highly personal response to the postrevolutionary artistic agenda set by the government. The Revolutionist was created after he returned to Mexico in 1929 and began teaching at the National Art School. There, he connected with the radical ¡30 30! group, which rejected traditional art education.



Tamayo es uno de los artistas más célebres de México. Sus xilografías de la década de 1920 y principios de la de 1930 son radicalmente distintas de las creaciones de sus contemporáneos. Representan una respuesta muy personal a la agenda artística posrevolucionaria establecida por el Gobierno. Tamayo creó El revolucionario cuando regresó a México en 1929 y empezó a dar clases en la Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes, donde se vinculó al grupo radical ¡30 30!, que rechazaba la educación artística tradicional.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Revolutionist (a man holding a rifle viewed from behind)
  • Artist: Rufino Tamayo (Mexican, Oaxaca 1899–1991 Mexico City)
  • Date: ca. 1929–30
  • Medium: Woodcut on Japan paper
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 12 in. × 9 7/16 in. (30.5 × 24 cm)
    Image: 8 3/8 × 5 7/8 in. (21.3 × 15 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Jean Charlot, 1931
  • Object Number: 31.91.33
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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A poster advertising an exhibition of Rufino's work at Knoedler and Co, New York
Rufino Tamayo
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Rufino Tamayo
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