Murals of the Mexican Revolution

Murals of the Mexican Revolution

Diego RiveraDiego Rivera• Born in 1886, leader of Mexican Mural

Movement of the 1920’s• Communist: believed that art should

be accessible to all people, so murals were painted on the walls of government buildings.

• Topics of murals included: the Revolution, farmers, laborers and popular historical figures

• Born in 1886, leader of Mexican Mural Movement of the 1920’s

• Communist: believed that art should be accessible to all people, so murals were painted on the walls of government buildings.

• Topics of murals included: the Revolution, farmers, laborers and popular historical figures

Diego RiveraDiego Rivera

Diego Rivera continued…Diego Rivera continued…

• Travelled to the Soviet Union as part of the Mexican Communist Party delegation.

• Became more controversial: attacked capitalism, the elite and the Catholic Church.

• Some of his murals were censored or removed because of this content.

• Rivera painted a mural in Rockefeller Center in New York which was removed due to his image of Vladimir Lenin

• Travelled to the Soviet Union as part of the Mexican Communist Party delegation.

• Became more controversial: attacked capitalism, the elite and the Catholic Church.

• Some of his murals were censored or removed because of this content.

• Rivera painted a mural in Rockefeller Center in New York which was removed due to his image of Vladimir Lenin

Government Mural program of 1921

Government Mural program of 1921

• Obregon becomes president in 1920 and is faced with repairing a decade of damage caused by the Revolution.

• Creation of a new cultural identity in the post-Revolution era.

• Jose Vasconcelos: became the first Secretary of Public Education in 1921

• An advocate of education through public art.

• Obregon becomes president in 1920 and is faced with repairing a decade of damage caused by the Revolution.

• Creation of a new cultural identity in the post-Revolution era.

• Jose Vasconcelos: became the first Secretary of Public Education in 1921

• An advocate of education through public art.

Other significant Muralists

Other significant Muralists

• David Alfaro Siquieros: Artist and communist. His murals depicted many left-wing ideals.

• Jose Clemente Orozco: Differed from the other muralists in that he portrayed the Revolution far less gloriously.

• David Alfaro Siquieros: Artist and communist. His murals depicted many left-wing ideals.

• Jose Clemente Orozco: Differed from the other muralists in that he portrayed the Revolution far less gloriously.

SiquierosSiquieros

OrozcoOrozco

Frida KahloFrida Kahlo• Not a muralist, but a very famous Mexican

painter.• Claimed her date of birth to be July 7, 1910 to

coincide with the Revolution• Married to Diego Rivera• Part of the surrealist movement in painting,

she depicts women, Mexican culture and Indigenous traditions.

• Was a communist and connected to Leon Trotsky from Russia.

• Not a muralist, but a very famous Mexican painter.

• Claimed her date of birth to be July 7, 1910 to coincide with the Revolution

• Married to Diego Rivera• Part of the surrealist movement in painting,

she depicts women, Mexican culture and Indigenous traditions.

• Was a communist and connected to Leon Trotsky from Russia.

Other Murals…..Other Murals…..

Your assignment….Your assignment….• Working with a group, you are going to be creating a

“table” size mural painting.• This should symbolize the understanding your group has of

the events of the revolution and the post-revolution period through 1940. The “story” of Mexico during this time period.

• The murals will be painted and in full color.• In addition, each group must produce at least 1 ½-2 pages

of written description to accompany the images.• You will share your mural and written descriptions

publically.• It is not about the “quality” of your art, but the messages

and the themes you are trying to get across!

• Working with a group, you are going to be creating a “table” size mural painting.

• This should symbolize the understanding your group has of the events of the revolution and the post-revolution period through 1940. The “story” of Mexico during this time period.

• The murals will be painted and in full color.• In addition, each group must produce at least 1 ½-2 pages

of written description to accompany the images.• You will share your mural and written descriptions

publically.• It is not about the “quality” of your art, but the messages

and the themes you are trying to get across!