The Ghost of Liberty

Enrique Chagoya, The Ghost of Liberty, 2004, color lithograph with chine collé on amate paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Susanne Joyner, 2012.51.3, © 2004, Enrique Chagoya
Enrique Chagoya, The Ghost of Liberty, 2004, color lithograph with chine collé on amate paper, sheet and image: 11 1⁄2 × 85 in. (29.2 × 215.9 cm) closed: 11 1⁄2 × 7 3⁄4 in. (29.2 × 19.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Susanne Joyner, 2012.51.3, © 2004, Enrique Chagoya

Artwork Details

Title
The Ghost of Liberty
Artist
Date
2004
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet and image: 11 1⁄2 × 85 in. (29.2 × 215.9 cm) closed: 11 1⁄2 × 7 3⁄4 in. (29.2 × 19.7 cm)
Copyright
© 2004, Enrique Chagoya
Credit Line
Gift of Susanne Joyner
Mediums Description
color lithograph with chine collé on amate paper
Classifications
Object Number
2012.51.3
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2012.51.3

Artwork Description

Over twenty-five years ago, Chagoya adopted the format of the Mesoamerican codex as a vehicle to explore contemporary history. He made this print in the years following 9/11, when Americans questioned President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq. Chagoya's codex, which reads from right to left and is made of amate paper like the historic forms that inspired it, mixes incongruous visual references from the Lone Ranger and Tonto to plumed serpents, dinosaurs, Arabic and Chinese text, flying saucers, and much more. His narrative is open to interpretation, but his title suggesting the eclipse of liberty and his appropriation of Hollywood racial stereotypes offers enough fodder to spark debate.


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Works by this artist (20 items)

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Malaquias Montoya, La Raza Graphic Center's 1983 Political Art Calendar (cover), 1983, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2020.45.13
La Raza Graphic Center’s 1983 Political Art Calendar (cover)
Artist
Date1983
screenprint on paper
Not on view
Malaquias Montoya, Frank Bonilla, 1995, screenprint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores García, 2019.51.17, © 1995, Malaquias Montoya
Frank Bonilla
Artist
Date1995
screenprint
Not on view
Malaquias Montoya, Stop!! Wells Fargo Bank Loans to Chile, 1979, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lincoln Cushing/ Docs Populi, 2019.54.1, © 1979, Malaquias Montoya
Stop!! Wells Fargo Bank Loans to Chile
Artist
Date1979
screenprint on paper
Not on view
Malaquias Montoya, Abolish Prison Slavery, n.d., screenprint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Margaret Terrazas Santos Collection, 2019.52.57, © n.d., Malaquias Montoya
Abolish Prison Slavery
Artist
Daten.d.
screenprint
Not on view

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Claire Falkenstein, City is Man, 1941-1952, linocut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.14, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
City is Man
Artist
Date1941-1952
linocut
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Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Untitled
Artist
Date1976
embossed paper
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Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Mandala
Artist
Date1977
lithograph
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Image Not Available
Les Quais de la Seine a Paris
Artist
Date1917
hand-colored etching on postcard
Not on view