Mural painting and social revolution in Mexico, 1920-1940

About this book

Mural Painting and Social Revolution in Mexico, 1920-1940 is the first full-length account of this major movement in the history of Modernism. Following the Revolution of 1910, Mexican society underwent a profound transformation in every sector of political and cultural life. Mexican artists participated in this social revolution during a vital two-decade period through public art programs funded by the government and other institutions. Applying a social-historical methodology, Leonard Folgarait examines this phenomenon and focuses on the mural paintings of Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco, and David Siqueiros produced during this period. He provides an in-depth analysis of the form and meaning of these mural cycles, while documenting the system of patronage, the critical connections between state policy and aesthetics, and the visual strategies devised by patrons and artists in order to maximize the impact of these propagandistic images.