| These three artists may not have
been able to alter the history of events in the Mexican Revolution, but
they were successful in creating thought provoking and emotion stirring
artwork. They were revolutionaries when it comes to the media of their
work. The idea to paint on huge, public surfaces with political content
was new. The major difference between the three was how hopeful and optimistic
the messages in the paintings were. If you recall, Rivera was very optimistic.
He used bright colors, soft lines, and often showed the peasants and workers
in a utopian setting. This hopeful out look may be related to the fact
that he was out of the country during most of the revolution. Orozco and
Siqueiros however, were major participants in political events of the revolution
and experienced its horror first hand. The work of these two is usually
gruesome and done in dark colors, with harsh lines. Their work shows the
stark reality of the Revolution. Orozco's
depiction of the ideal differs from Rivera because he separates it from
a historical context. I think that Diego Rivera's work is the nicest to
look at and if I were to commission one of the three muralists to paint
one of the rooms in my house I would chose him. However, I don't think
that he was the greatest revolutionary muralist. His art was sugar coated
and overly optimistic. Maybe that is why he was so popular. However, Orozco
and Siquieros had a bigger impact on the public because they illustrated
the true horrors of the revolution. |
