The muralists who were sons and daughters of the Mexican revolution became the spokespersons of the changes Mexico longed for after the bloody civil war. They were more than a group of painters and intellectuals; they were the key to understanding and promoting Mexican art. On their vast murals, they exposed Mexico’s identity and its indigenous people. Their brushstrokes spoke of their despise for the upper classes and the bourgeoisie. Diego Rivera explored Mexico’s natural beauty and its convoluted history. On the other hand, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros dared to show the misery and oppression of the Mexican people, as well as their dream for a better life.
The National Palace, The National Preparatory High School, the Ministry of Public Education, and the Palace of Beaux Arts are just a few of the places where people can admire their work. Nevertheless, these painters were not the only ones who wanted to transmit a message of power to the people. The following artists may receive less attention, but they are equally important.
Olga Costa
She was born in Germany, but migrated to Mexico when she was 12, and she even changed her last name to feel more Mexican. Costa broke all the stereotypes of her time. She was a self-taught artist who captured the colors of Mexico. Her paintings are so vivid that you could almost touch the moist, black soil, and the rough surface of the rocks. She didn’t follow the same trends her fellow painters did; on the contrary, she captured Mexico’s essence in each stroke of paint.
José Chávez Morado
He was Olga Costa’s husband and was considered to be as important as Rufino Tamayo. He believed in the power of the people and had unwavering faith in them. Morado’s work was focused on portraying the heroes of the Mexican Revolution, the battles they fought, and the struggle of the people to survive in a war-torn country. He believed art belonged to the Mexicans. Morado was not only a muralist; he also made illustrations, cartoons, printings, and sculptures where he reflected the dream he had of making Mexico a better place.
Débora Arango
Born in Colombia, from her youth she showed great passion for art and philosophy. Débora Arango was a rebel and innovative artist who studied at the National School of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking in Mexico. Her art was controversial and was classified as pornographic, because she painted real size nudes of prostitutes or women in prison. She upheld the beliefs of other Mexican muralist regarding the importance of public art. When she returned to Colombia, she kept painting prostitutes, nuns, and workers to criticize the Colombian politics of that time.
María Izquierdo
She was the first woman to have an art show outside of Mexico. Izquierdo made an important choice regarding her work. She decided not to show her nationalism and focused instead on the emotions she could evoked in her viewers. With an existential approach, she painted the female body to explore topics like solitude, sadness, and other life crises.
Manuel Rodríguez Lozano
Lozano was a skillful painter and draftsman, whose work could be classified as tough and popular. He was a man who led a complicated life and was aware of the impacts of social inequality. He spent some time in prison in 1940, and this experience had a deep impact on his art, making it darker. He had strong personal convictions, which is why he refused to join the other muralists, because he didn’t want to mix politics with art. Lozano’s work depicted the desperation and indifference of a post-revolutionary Mexico.
The Mexican muralist movement started at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It promoted the education of people through art. Intentionally or unintentionally, it helped rebuild a country devastated by war. It was a political and social movement that changed Latina America.
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