Sputnick

Publisher Probably Taller de Gráfica Popular, Mexico City Mexican
ca. 1957
Not on view
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union was the first country to launch a satellite, Sputnik 1. It triggered a period of anxiety in the West because of the perceived gap between the technological capabilities of the United States and the Soviet Union. This print celebrates the satellite’s orbit: in its wake is a stream of doves, and, below, people dance and play music. González Iñiguez created the print shortly after he joined the Taller de Gráfica Popular in Mexico City in 1956. Rather than reflecting any anxiety the event provoked, he seems to have regarded the launch as a cause of celebration.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Sputnick
  • Artist: Xavier González Iñiguez (Mexican, 1932–1979)
  • Publisher: Probably Taller de Gráfica Popular, Mexico City
  • Date: ca. 1957
  • Medium: Linocut
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 19 3/4 × 16 5/16 in. (50.2 × 41.5 cm)
    Image: 15 3/4 × 11 13/16 in. (40 × 30 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Richard and JoAnn Edinburg Pinkowitz, 2024
  • Object Number: 2024.69.25
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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