Luz Seated (to the left)

Jean Charlot

Charlot did a pair of lithographs on a zinc plate in 1929 in New York, working with Master Printer George C. Miller. The images, "Lutz Seated" (facing left) and "Lutz Seated" (facing right) were printed on a single sheet of paper that was cut down to create two separate prints.

There were a total of 30 impressions pulled, 10 in the second state and 20 in the third state for a total of 30. This image was one of the first lithographs Charlot did in 1929 in the United States.

Charlot noted in his diary on July 7, 1929: "A very small litho. Luz seated, from picture painted June 19" and "August 9. Pull proofs...the two little lithos Luz."

He also noted regarding a painting of her: "This is Luciana. I was speaking of her. She’s been a great influence on my art. She’s been a great influence in introducing me to what I could call my ancestors, that is, the Aztec Indians, because I am part Indian. She spoke beautiful Aztec. In fact, later on, when she was older, she was what is called an informant on Aztec languages in the school of ethnology.

This is a portrait of her in that particular style that I worked hard to do as if I had never known Paris. Of course, the people who would come and see my pictures would all tell me—some of them very famous critics, American critics—“Well, your things are very nice, but you should be more aware of what is being done in Paris.” And: "With Luciana, we went for example to Indian pilgrimages, which were really pagan business and not white man’s business or tourist business."