This linocut belongs to a suite of ten prints that Leopoldo Méndez created for the film Río Escondido (Hidden River), directed by Emilio Fernández (1904–1986) and shot by Gabriel Figueroa (1907–1997)—two greats of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. The prints, which appear during the film’s opening credits, are graphic interpretations of scenes viewers see as the narrative unfolds. Film collaborations offered a new creative avenue to Méndez, who had long aspired to make graphic murals and to create prints on a monumental scale.

The film features celebrated movie star María Félix (1914–2002), who plays a maestra rural (rural schoolteacher) sent by the president of the republic to a remote village run by a despotic leader. When she arrives, she encounters three young siblings and their mother who is dying of smallpox. In this image, Méndez depicts the daughter sitting vigil over her ailing mother. The dark background and sparse composition heighten the girl’s grief.