Leopoldo Méndez (1902 –1969) was one of Mexico's most important graphic artists from the 20th century. Along with Pablo O'Higgins, Alfredo Zalce, Luis Arenal, Ignacio Aguirre, and Isidora Ocampo, Méndez was the founder in 1937 of the evolutionary print workshop called the Taller de Gráfica Popular (TGP).
Méndez's work mostly focused on printmaking connected to his political and social activism. His most influential work was connected to organizations such as the Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios and the Taller de Gráfica Popular, creating propaganda related to the ideals of the Mexican Revolution and against the rise of Fascism in the 1930s.
This print, titled, Vista de Zaragoza, is concerned with imaginary structures, urban fabric under threat and architectural loss. Built in Spain in 1504, the 262-foot-tall Tower of Zaragoza began leaning soon after it was finished due to faults with its construction. It became one of the most famous leaning towers in Europe. By the 19th century, the tower’s tilt had become so pronounced that the city council had to attempt to repair it. Hoping to salvage this iconic piece of the city’s skyline, officials removed its triple spire in 1878. In 1892, the tower was demolished altogether. Its bricks were recycled and used in the foundations of new buildings.
Though the tower was demolished before Leopoldo Méndez's birth, this image reimagines what the skyline of Zaragoza, Spain must have looked like before it was removed. In the image, two workers contemplate the tower from a balcony.