Title: The Mexican Renaissance | Boundless Art History
Headings: The Mexican Renaissance
The Mexican Renaissance
Mexican Muralism
Learning Objectives
Key Takeaways
Key Points
Key Terms
Mexican Muralism
Los Tres Grandes
Diego Rivera
Jose Clemente Orozco
David Alfaro Siqueiros
Mexican Painting: Frida Kahlo
Learning Objectives
Key Takeaways
Key Points
Frida Kahlo
Paintings
Influences
Artistic Legacy

Content: Many were painted on the walls of colonial-era government buildings. Techniques included the revival of old techniques such as the fresco—painting on freshly plastered walls—and encaustic or hot wax painting. Others used mosaics and high-fire ceramics, as well as metal parts, and layers of cement. Los Tres Grandes
The three most influential muralists from the 20th century are Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Siqueiros, often referred to as los tres grandes (the three great ones). They believed that art was the highest form of human expression and a key force in social revolution. Their work defined the movement and created a mythology around the Mexican Revolution and the Mexican people, and promoted Marxist ideals, which are still influential to this day. At the time the works were painted, they also served as a form of catharsis over what the country had endured during the war. However, the three were quite different in their artistic expression. Rivera’s works were utopian and idealist, Orozco’s were critical and pessimistic, and the most radical were those of Siqueiros, which focused heavily on a scientific future. The differences among the three have much to do with how each experienced the Mexican Revolution.