From the founding of the Taller de Gráfica Popular (People’s Print Workshop), its members centered images of rural laborers to push for agrarian reform—a legacy of the Mexican Revolution. While the workshop was based in the urban metropolis of Mexico City, country farmers and their hardships and toils were a recurring motif for the artists. Their sympathetic renderings of peasants performing arduous tasks constituted visual pleas for improved conditions.

In this print by Alberto Beltrán, two men work rocky ground. The mountainous landscape and tumultuous skies suggest the grueling nature of their labor. Large brimmed hats protect them from the sun while their slim huaraches (sandals) are little match for the rough terrain. The face of the closest figure is completely obscured and his companion’s eyes are covered, placing the emphasis on a generalized group rather than individuals. In the background, a capataz, or overseer, monitors their work, at the ready to keep them on task.