Diego Rivera’s murals

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The Historic Center houses the most outstanding civil building, which is resplendent with a significant collection of works by the influential artist of the twentieth century, that is, the murals of Diego Rivera. His mastery of the fresco painting technique played a crucial role in the construction of the identity of a nation in full transformation after the Revolution.

Muralism in Mexico

On the eastern side of Mexico City’s Zócalo stands an impressive stone and masonry building that, throughout history, has been the epicenter of political powers: the majestic National Palace. From its beginnings, built on the foundations of the tecpan calli or the ancient royal houses of Montezuma, it has undergone numerous transformations until reaching its current form. Its last and most significant architectural metamorphosis took place in the post-revolution period. In 1927, during the presidency of General Plutarco Elías Calles, a third floor was added to the palace, adapting it to the grandeur of its surroundings, which include monumental buildings such as the Cathedral and the Metropolitan Tabernacle to the north, and the City Hall to the south.

In this same post-revolutionary era, one of Mexico’s most outstanding cultural expressions flourished: muralism, led by emblematic figures such as Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco. These artists bequeathed large format works that were integrated into places of architectural importance, such as the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso (then the National Preparatory School), the building of the Ministry of Public Education, the Casa de los Azulejos and the Museo de la Luz, among others.

Muralism, enriched by the profound changes unleashed by the Revolution, adopted from its beginnings a markedly political, ideological and social character. The Manifesto of the union of technical workers, painters and sculptors, written in 1924, emphatically condemned easel painting as a privileged means of expression and proclaimed the glorification of monumental art as a public heritage.

As a result, Mexican muralism became deeply rooted in national history, rescuing its indigenous roots, revitalizing the popular characters of society and highlighting the masses that played a fundamental role in the Revolution. The aesthetics forged by the muralists was not limited to simply representing a world emerging from the ashes of the old Porfirian regime; rather, it became a crucial engine in the construction of national identity. At that time, when the government that emerged from the Revolution was striving to define new paradigms for public life, with a view to leading the country towards a modern era with a nationalist approach, muralism contributed significant symbolic weight to this process.

Diego Rivera himself expressed this idea years later to Luis Cardoza y Aragón, a prominent Guatemalan writer and art critic.

These concepts are clearly manifested in the artistic work of a painter born in Guanajuato in 1886. His training included the influence of outstanding artists of the 19th century, such as Félix Parra, José María Velasco, Santiago Rebull and Dr. Atl. Subsequently, he undertook a trip to Europe, where he acquired skills in the fresco technique, used by the great masters of the Renaissance, and immersed himself in the avant-garde art that revolutionized European culture at the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1929, already consolidated as one of the prominent figures of the Mexican school of painting, he began the creative process of the monumental Epopeya del pueblo mexicano.

This impressive mural, one of Diego Rivera’s most famous murals, is one of the most monumental creations of Diego Rivera, covering an area of two hundred and seventy-six square meters. It is majestically located on the main stairs of the National Palace.

Through his virtuoso handling of line and color palette, Diego Rivera achieved a masterful interpretation of national history, dividing it into three distinct parts. The panels that make up this triptych are organized chronologically, offering an insightful narration of Mexico’s history. The first of these is entitled “Pre-Hispanic Mexico”, the second is entitled “History of Mexico: from the Conquest to 1930” and, finally, the third is known as “Mexico of Today and Tomorrow”.

Pre-Hispanic stage in Diego Rivera’s murals

The first panel, located on the north side, begins the representation of history from Diego Rivera’s perspective. In this segment, the main focus is on the rescue of the rich mythology of pre-Columbian civilizations. The central character of this section is Quetzalcoatl, who is presented as a cosmic power, a deity and in his human incarnation. He is visualized as being born from a volcano and later embarking on a journey to the east, where he confronts Tezcatlipoca.

Antonio Rodríguez, in his work “El hombre en llamas. Historia de la pintura mural en México”, masterfully describes this part of Diego Rivera’s work.

In this section of the immense fresco, which is seven and a half meters wide by just under nine meters high, Diego Rivera offers a detailed vision of crucial aspects of the pre-Hispanic civilization. Here, various aspects are addressed, such as its thriving commercial activity, the imposing presence of pyramids in its sacred architecture, the worship rituals intended to favor agriculture, the outstanding warrior facet focused on obtaining tribute, the essential role of the tlacuilos in the creation of ancient codices, as well as the work of potters and goldsmiths, artisans dedicated to feather art and women with their knowledge of herbalism and traditional medicine. These elements allow Diego Rivera to recreate the life of a world in which the cosmic order, the political structure, the manifestations of natural forces and the deities converge in an exceptional harmony and balance.

The central part of “The Epic of the Mexican People” spans an area of just over eight and a half meters wide by almost thirteen meters high, and guides us through the various historical stages of Mexico, from the time of the Conquest to the emergence of the regime following the victorious Revolution. As a result, it becomes an intricate labyrinth of references, characters, symbolism, historical elements and visual metaphors that combine in an overwhelming composition.

Mexico in times of the Viceroyalty of New Spain in the murals of Diego Rivera

In contrast to the previous section, the perspective that Diego Rivera adopts in depicting the Spanish conquistadors immediately stands out here. In the pre-Hispanic world, even the representation of war was framed in a harmonious order that incorporated political structures and the divine presence. However, in this section, the Spaniards are portrayed in their cruelty, as beings capable of destroying the splendors of the indigenous world driven by their own greed.

These elements are vividly reflected in some striking images, such as the one that portrays the Spanish captain Pedro de Alvarado, burning with hot iron the indigenous people previously subdued as slaves. The collapse of ancient temples and the burning of valuable pre-Hispanic codices at the hands of Friar Juan de Zumárraga, who became the first bishop of the diocese of Mexico, are equally shocking.

These acts resulted in the irretrievable loss of a vast amount of a civilization’s memory, along with all its knowledge. In addition, a later dark event is addressed: the arrival of the Holy Inquisition, which institutionalized cruel methods of torture, imprisonment and execution of those considered heretics or who challenged the religious and political dogmas that sustained the viceregal authorities.

However, Diego Rivera does not limit himself to a one-dimensional vision of the conquistadors, painting them exclusively as destructive agents. He also highlights elements that narrate the emergence of a new world from the syncretic fusion between the European and the American. The complex processes of miscegenation, which gave rise to a profoundly diverse culture, are evident through the representation of Malinche, the interpreter and wife of Hernán Cortés, as well as his son Martín, who shared both Spanish and indigenous roots.

Over the years, Diego Rivera has been criticized for his supposedly biased and Manichean approach, idealizing the indigenous people and presenting the Spaniards only as fierce and greedy figures. However, this fresco includes characters that urge us to reconsider this judgment, as they represent a more humanitarian side of the Spaniards. This is reflected in the presence of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, who dedicated a large part of his life to compiling testimonies of the indigenous culture and understanding their beliefs in order to preserve them; as well as the figure of Pedro de Moya, the viceroy who revoked the employment of oidores who had committed numerous abuses and established the first seminary dedicated specifically to the original settlers.

Mexican Independence

Nevertheless, it is indisputable that the compact pictorial narrative forged by Diego Rivera around national history carries with it an unequivocal ideological position. The approach he gives to the heroes of the War of Independence, such as Father Hidalgo, José María Morelos (whose face merges with that of the painter himself), Ignacio Allende, Mariano Matamoros, Josefa Ortiz or Leona Vicario, is clearly positive.

This same tendency is reflected in the representation of the protagonists of the Reform War, which is displayed in the upper right arch of the mural. Here again there are marked contrasts between figures such as Benito Juárez, Ignacio Ramírez “the Necromancer”, Melchor Ocampo and Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, as opposed to the Catholic priest.

The corpulence of the clergyman symbolizes how the ecclesiastical authorities had abandoned the principles of austerity they preached and had given themselves frantically to the accumulation of wealth. In addition, a high prelate is depicted wearing sumptuous costume, ostentatiously displaying the riches of the Church.

Other significant moments of the 19th century occupy a prominent place in Diego Rivera’s artistic representation. These include the defense of national sovereignty in the face of foreign invasions that left an indelible mark on Mexican history.

One of these iconic episodes is the resistance to the invasion of the French troops, bravely led by General Ignacio Zaragoza in Puebla, and the establishment of the Second Empire led by Maximilian of Habsburg, who was finally executed along with Tomás Mejía and Miguel Miramón at Cerro de las Campanas. In the upper left part of the mural, the imperial eagle retreats, symbolizing the defeat that sealed his fate.

In addition, Diego Rivera’s mural pays tribute to the memory of the U.S. invasion that began in 1846 and resulted in the cession of more than half of Mexico’s territory. This section highlights the figure of Nicolás Bravo, who led the defense of Chapultepec Castle on September 13, 1847, with the brave participation of the young cadets of the Military College.

On the opposite side, on the left arch of the mural, there is a motley multitude of figures that narrate the events from the establishment of Porfirio Díaz’s regime at the end of 1876 until the triumph of the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which officially culminated in 1917 with the promulgation of the Constitution.

In this section, the portrait of Porfirio Díaz stands out alongside other prominent members of the economic elites of his regime, personified by Secretary of Finance José Yves de Limantour. On this same side, the presence of the economic interests that supported the regime is glimpsed, including industrial activity, mining and the hacienda system, whose exploitation had dramatic consequences.

Opposite these actors are the protagonists who shaped the Revolution in its various facets. Included are representations of the anarchist and journalistic workers’ vein of the Magón brothers, Carranza’s constitutionalist movement, the agrarian movement led by Emiliano Zapata and Otilio Montaño, the struggle for democratization and against the reelection of Francisco I. Madero, as well as figures such as the Carmen brothers and Aquiles Serdán. It also highlights those who emerged in the post-revolution period, such as generals Álvaro Obregón and Plutarco Elías Calles, legislator and labor representative Luis N. Morones, and socialist Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Mention is also made of the new protagonists in the field of art and culture, such as Nahui Ollin.

This section of Diego Rivera’s murals also marks the period in which muralism emerged, at a time when the country was experiencing instabilities. Despite the fall of the Porfirian regime, the revolutionary government had to face other challenges, including the Cristero resistance (represented here by Mother Conchita and León Toral).

Mexico of today and tomorrow

This section ends with the panel entitled “Mexico of Today and Tomorrow”, in which Diego Rivera not only presents his vision of the Mexican cultural present, but also establishes connections with international cultural and political movements, particularly communism. Here, direct reference is made to Karl Marx, holding a copy of “The Communist Manifesto”, and various aspects of class struggle are depicted. Whereas in the previous sections the antagonists of the workers and peasants were the traditional forces, such as the local Church, here the new international bourgeoisie and its mercantilist approach are depicted. This is clearly manifested in the depiction of a money-making machine and the presence of Wall Street capitalists. The workers are also forced to confront the Church and the army, which are now allied with the new political class, as well as the emergence of groups of fascist ideology (represented by the Golden Shirts) and the intolerance exercised in the name of Catholicism (personified by the Knights of Columbus).

In contrast, Diego Rivera presents the seeds of what he sees as the future, including the alliance between workers and agrarianism, as well as the contribution of women teachers and the new figures of art, personified by Frida Kahlo. This monumental work, one of the most outstanding achievements of Mexican art, required about six years of work, being completed in 1935.

In 1951, Diego Rivera returned to the National Palace to paint a series of additional panels that complemented his vision of Mexico’s historical roots. These smaller frescoes explored the vitality of the pre-Hispanic world and its influence on the twentieth century.

It represented the corn cultivation of the Huasteca culture, the festivities and ceremonies of the Totonaca culture in the Gulf of Mexico, the goldsmithing and feather art of the Zapotec culture in the central region of Oaxaca, as well as the outstanding work of the Tarascan painters, who possessed advanced technical knowledge in pigments, resins and textile dyes.

In addition to this series, Diego Rivera created a grisaille that, through pre-Hispanic architecture, showed the high degree of civilization achieved by the ancient cultures of Mexico. He also painted a canvas depicting an impressive view of the bustling commerce in the Tlatelolco market, where the causeways, ancient irrigation ditches and temples of ancient Tenochtitlán can be seen. Finally, he painted another work illustrating agricultural work, the basis of pre-Hispanic civilizations, and the numerous products that these civilizations bequeathed to the world, such as corn, cocoa, squash, tomatoes, peanuts, among others.