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Manuel Álvarez Bravo
Los agachados (The crouched ones), 1934

Seeking shelter from the bright midday sun, a group of workers gather at an inexpensive lunch counter. Their torn and stained clothing and the shoeshine box at their feet suggest that they are poor laborers. Like convicts on a chain gang, the men are seated on stools that are locked together with heavy metal links. The workers are faceless; their anonymity and hunched postures, like the chain at their feet, are suggestive of their economic plight.

Alvarez Bravo had a Surrealist’s eye for the mysterious and uncanny in everyday life. For example, the opening to the comedor, or dining room, resembles a giant, gaping mouth consuming the men as they, in turn, eat their lunch. The composition is also an elegant study of lights and darks, the shape of the stall neatly determining the framing of the photograph.

Artwork Info

Artwork title
Los agachados (The crouched ones)
Artist name
Manuel Álvarez Bravo
Date created
1934
Classification
photograph
Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
5 in. × 6 1/2 in. (12.7 cm × 16.51 cm)
Date acquired
2001
Credit
Collection SFMOMA
Gift of Carla Emil and Rich Silverstein
Copyright
© Colette Urbajtel / Archivo Manuel Álvarez Bravo
Permanent URL
https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/2001.439
Artwork status
Not on view at this time.

Other Works by Manuel Álvarez Bravo

See other works by Manuel Álvarez Bravo

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