Mulheres fugindo (A Bomba Atómica) [Women Fleeing (The Atomic Bomb)]

Printmaking was intended to be an efficient means of democratizing art within the context of Neo-Realism, and it played a significant role in Júlio Pomar’s work. Pomar was one of the founders and key promoters of the Cooperativa GRAVURA from 1955 onwards.

This linocut (a relief print made from a carved linoleum block), also known as «The Atomic Bomb» and «The Explosion»-whose theme has since gained renewed relevance-belongs to a group of graphic works produced in large editions in 1951. These works carried political content associated with international peace campaigns during the Cold War. «Mothers», «Girl and Doves», «The Child’s Meal», and this «Women Fleeing» were very common in the homes of opponents of the regime and, in 1953, formed part of the Portuguese representation at the II São Paulo Biennial.