Betancinados by Yiyo Tirado Rivera (Interpretation and Analysis)

Betancinados
Source: Princeton University

As a medium, printmaking seems to have fallen out of fashion among modern artists (at least that’s my perception). However this print, entitled Betancinados, was created in 2016 by Puerto Rican artist Yiyo Tirado Rivera.

The print is dominated by the face of Ramón Emeterio Betances, one of the celebrated leaders of the Grito de Lares, an armed rebellion against Spanish colonial forces. Although the revolt failed, Betances remains an enduring symbol of freedom and the cause of Puerto Rican independence. In Tirado’s print, Betances’ beard has been transformed into a charging army on horseback. This army is symbolic of both the Grito de Lares and, in a more abstract sense, the ideas it created. While the image can be read literally as Betances leading an army against Spain, the army can also be understood as Betances’ ideas, flowing from his mind out into the world. These men on horseback represent the intellectual descendents of Betances’ movement, and the fact of this print’s existence proves that these descendents are alive and well today. Tirado’s piece celebrates Puerto Rican nationalist movement and the island’s proud history of cultural independence.

Although Tirado’s work is usually more abstract, Betancinados conforms to a more traditional style. Betancinados is reminiscent of the work of the great Puerto Rican printmakers of the twentieth century, such as Rafael Tufiño and Carlos Raquel Rivera. The piece itself is executed with great skill and attention to detail; it is an excellent addition to the proud tradition of Puerto Rican printmaking.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.