The Big Three

Country: Mexico

    Time Period: 1920-1950 Mexican Muralism

In 1910 the Mexican Revolution began against the dictator at the time. The revolution went on for about a decade and it ended dictatorship and established a constitutional republic for Mexico (History). At the end of the revolution, the Mexican government commissioned artists education the public on Mexican History. The three artists that defined Mexican identity through muralism were known as Los Tres Grandes, The Big Three. Individually known as David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, and Jose Clemente Orozco (Bravo).

New Democracy by David Siqueiros, 1944, Pyroxylin on Panel, Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico City

David Alfaro Siqueiros was born December 29, 1896 in Chihuahua, Mexico. Siqueiros went on to fight in the revolution for democracy, he studied art in Europe, and returned to Mexico in 1922 to begin working on commissions from the Mexican Government. New Democracy was painted in a response to the end of fascism during World War II (The Art Story Siqueiros). David Siqueiros knew about dictatorship from his time fighting in the Mexican Revolution and was able to show many elements of the victory this piece. In the painting, Democracy is emerging from the wreckage of war with weighted chains still attached to her wrist's but with the torch of liberty in one hand and a white flower of peace in the other. I gravitated towards this piece because Siqueiros was able to show Democracy emerging powerfully, in bold colors, while also conveying the struggle endured to get there. Under Democracy's third arm posted as a fist ready to strike as hammer, is a dead Nazi soldier with depicted in gold grey tones with red blood on his hands. The grey tone of the soldier brings a sense of coldness while the red blood on the hands reminds of the viewer of the horrific deeds done during the war.  Democracy is victorious over the soldier however her face is almost ghostly as the soldiers. Democracy's face lacks the cold colors that match the rest of her upper body, her expression on her face looks exhausted and relieved, almost like democracy herself was losing her lifeforce during the war. 

West Wall

 North Wall

 South Wall

The History of Mexico by Diego Rivera, 1929-1935, Fresco, Paclacio Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico

Diego Rivera was born on December 8, 1886 in Guanajuato, Mexico. Rivera utilized government grants and scholarships to formally study art in Mexico and in Europe. Rivera returned to Mexico in 1921 after meeting David Alfaro Siqueiros, to work on commissions as well from the Mexican government (Britannica). Flattley explains The History of Mexico as, "In an overwhelming and crowded composition, Rivera represents pivotal scenes from the history of the modern nation-state, including scenes from the Spanish Conquest, the fight for independence from Spain, the Mexican-American war, the Mexican Revolution, and an imagined future Mexico in which a workers’ revolution has triumphed". This mural is an extensive and intricate telling of Mexico's history. The North Wall is titled, "The Aztec World", West Wall is titled, "From the Conquest to 1930", and the South Wall is titled, "Mexico Today and Tomorrow" (Flattley).  This mural caught my attention due the the extreme detail that was put into the piece. Rivera includes historical figures and deities along with the everyday citizens in all areas of history to tell the history of Mexico but also how it related to the lower working class. Throughout the piece, you can see the indigenous people are representing in a dark rich brown tone as shown primary on the North wall, however as the viewer makes their way to the west wall, a majority of the figures are shown in a paler complexation and above indigenous peoples of Mexico. It is showing all invasions and conquests that have ravished their lands done by the invaders who are strategically placed in a higher position in the painting than the indigenous, representing the struggles the people of Mexico endured. Even as Rivera worked into the South Wall, he is representing the struggles of the working class but represents the idea that there is a brighter future by painting his soon-to-be wife, Frida Kahlo, in the painting wearing a red start necklace with school children who are being educated post revolution (Flattley).

The Trench by Jose Clemente Orozco, 1926, Antiguo Colegio se Dan Ildefonso

Jose Clemente Orozco was born on November 23, 1883 in Zapotlan, Mexico. Orozco studied art at the San Carlos Academy along with future muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros, he was a illustrator for a newspaper during the Mexican Revolution, and even spent time in the United States before returning to Mexico in 1920 to work on commissions for the government. The Trench depicts three soldiers who died fighting in the Mexican Revolution (The Art Story Orozco). Orozco places the soldier's bodies into a cross like configuration, showing the realities of the revolution. These dead soldiers all have their faces covered, hiding the identity of the men. These soldiers could be any man in the revolution, however Orozco paints them in cool tones and in tragic positions as if they are not heroes but the casualties of violence which he was denounced in favor of peace according to the Art Story. I chose this piece to finish because it represents a different side of the revolution story telling, one that is not pro revolution but still accurate.

Works Cited:

The Art Story Contributors. “David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican Painter and Muralist.” The Art Story, 22 Nov. 2016, www.theartstory.org/artist/siqueiros-david-alfaro/#:~:text=1945-,New%20Democracy,at%20the%20end%20of%20WWII.

The Art Story Contributors. “José Clemente Orozco Paintings, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, 11 July 2016, www.theartstory.org/artist/orozco-jose-clemente/.

Bravo, Dr. Doris Maria-Reina. “Mexican Muralism: Los Tres Grandes-David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, and José Clemente Orozco.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/mexican-muralism-los-tres-grandes-david-alfaro-siqueiros-diego-rivera-and-jose-clemente-orozco/.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Diego Rivera.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 13 Apr. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Diego-Rivera.

Flattley, Megan. “The History of Mexico: Diego Rivera’s Murals at the National Palace.” Smarthistory, 22 Sept. 2020, smarthistory.org/mexico-diego-rivera-murals-national-palace/.

History.com Editors. “Mexican Revolution.” HISTORY, 10 June 2019, www.history.com/topics/latin-america/mexican-revolution.