The Mexican Mural Renaissance of the 1930s saw many striking murals depicting political strife.
Muralism in Mexican art reached its height in the 1930s, fueled by the political activism of its most prominent artists. Three names are especially held in renown from this period: Diego Rivera, Jos Orozco and David Siqueiros. Together, these men ushered in what art historians would later refer to as the "Mexican Mural Renaissance" and become known as "The Great Trio." Their works stand to this day on walls both in Mexico and in the United States.
Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera's most infamous and well-known work was "Man at the Crossroads," which was destroyed when the artist refused to remove a portrait of Lenin from the mural. It was later repainted as "Man, Controller of the Universe" at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. His body of work also featured a series of frescoes titled "Creation" in the Mexico City National Preparatory School.
Jos Orozco
Jos Orozco also had several works featured at the National Preparatory School, among them: "The Elements," "Man in Battle Against Nature," "Christ Destroys His Cross," "Destruction of the Old Order," "The Aristocrats," and "The Trench and the Trinity."
David Siqueiros
Artist and activist David Siqueiros painted a famous mural titled "Los Mitos" ("The Myths") in the National Preparatory School's patio. He painted another of his celebrated murals, "Portrait of the Bourgeoisie" under the sponsorship of the Electrical Workers Union in Mexico. Near the end of his life, Siqueiros completed a huge mural called "The March of Humanity" in Cuernavaca, the largest ever painted.
