Bold strokes of color dance across the canvas, depicting a scene as vibrant and lively as the culture it represents. Through a masterful blend of mythology and cultural identity, Jesus Helguera’s “The Legend of Volcanoes” transcends its frame to become a lively statement about the resilience and pride of the Mexican people. In this paper, we will look into the many layers of this painting and explore its role as a symbol of Mexican identity. The Legend of Volcanoes” by Jesus Helguera captures the essence of Mexican heritage and cultural identity by intertwining elements of mythology, rich iconography, and deep socio-historical context. It serves as a powerful representation of Mexican history, celebrating the pride of the Mexican people through …show more content…
This relaxing posture initially suggests a peaceful acceptance, but looking closer, you reveal the tragic truth of her passing, and her lifeless expression shows the reality of her peaceful facade. This portrayal of her calm stillness contrasts with the man’s posture of active grief. This feeling of devotion can be seen with the man kneeling before his deceased lover, his head lowered with a somber expression on his face of defeat. His lover is gone, and there is nothing he can do but stay there with her forever by her side. Helguera’s use of colors, body language, and clothing not only adds layers to the narrative but also evokes emotional responses from viewers, drawing them into the bitter story depicted in the painting. Furthermore, in the painting, the warrior headdress worn by the man serves as a crucial iconographic element that reinforces the representation of Mexican heritage. The man's headdress can be traced to Aztec cultural attire, as Nielsen and Helmke (2020) discuss that the headdress was made from various perishable materials like wood, cloth, feathers, and …show more content…
This movement was used to educate the people about Mexico’s culture and identity. Helguera chose Aztec mythology in his painting to represent Mexican culture and people authentically. Moreover, his choice of landscape in his paintings is very significant. “In mid-nineteenth-century Mexico, art produced in conjunction with dominant political discourses placed an emphasis on canonical concepts of European beauty and harmony. Mexico’s search for a place in global nineteenth-century dialogues on art, science, and politics depended wholly on rectifying its mal gusto (bad taste). While several scholars have accurately discerned the role of history painting in this rectification, fewer have asserted the predominant role of landscape in the communication of these ideas. “A contextualization of landscape conventions—more specifically, the history of the picturesque in Mexico—will amplify the centrality of art in the visual articulation of the nation” (Ortega, 1). Helguera’s decision to incorporate landscape elements in his work, such as the depiction of the volcanoes in the background, aligns with the broader cultural shift towards emphasizing Mexico’s unique landscape and
Sebastian Pether’s piece of work called The Eruption of Vesuvius (1835) combines the silver watery reflection of the moon with the hot red molten lava that is flowing down its mountainsides. Though during Pether’s generation he wasn’t the only one to paint the well-known Mount Vesuvius, Joseph Wright of Derby also painted 30 paintings of the volcano. This art piece is currently located at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The piece is oil media on panel that is framed with a beautifully designed border, where it is hanging on a wall in the one of the rooms, with a one-dimension view. The quality of the piece owes itself to the color and lighting, which captures your immediate attention and guides the viewer through the piece.
Catlett and her husband were deeply involved in activism and politics. In her article titled----, Herzog writes that “ The Taller de Grafica Popular, was known to progressive artists here as well. Like the paintings of the Mexican muralist, the work of the Taller had its ideological roots in the expressions of indiginism and national cultural identity known as Mexicanidad , or ‘Mexicanness’. ” Because one of their goals was to produce a national identity, their art was made for everyone, including poor people. At the taller, they did linoleum print because the linoleum print was an inexpensive medium and thus was perfect for public art. In addition, most of Catlett`s work focused on portraying women of
In conclusion, through his mural paintings full with complexity and depth, Diego Rivera recreates a new reality for the audience. `Zapata con el caballo de Cortés` is one of his most influential art pieces , significant in the process of understanding The Mexican Revolution
Johns recognizes the architectural dependence of the influential Mexicans constructing Mexico City when he states, “Mexican architecture, on the other hand, was an expression of a city run by a people who were looking to create their own culture while entirely dependent on the industry and ideas of Europe and America” (22). The same construction that the elite felt was a celebration of a newfound dignity in the Mexican people was criticized, by visitors and locals alike, as grandiose and a futile effort to shield the native roots of a circle of imposters. Johns’s argues that the “Mexicans knew little of their adopted European tradition, had acquired even less of its taste, and enjoyed none of its tranquility” (23). While the influence on the Westside led to development, the squalor and lack of authority of the peasants on the Eastside created mesones, or as Johns described them, “.a little more than ‘a bare spot to lie down in, a grass mat, company with (the) vermin that squalor breeds.’” (48).
The Aztec Calendar stone has become one Mexico’s national symbols. After decades of Latin American Art being degraded, underappreciated, forgotten, and abused, it has become one of Mexico’s most national treasures. After years of research from the Codex Mendoza, the Calendar, and documents by the Spanish conquistadors, it has gradually become clear as to how the Aztecs truly lived and how art played such a huge role in their society. It has not only given researchers insight to the Aztec culture and religion and has also given influence to modern and the mainstream media today such as fashion and graphic design.
One of Spain’s awe-inspiring painters in history, Diego Velazquez not only painted beautiful and detailed artwork, but also created a broad story for the viewer to recreate and reinvent. One such painting, according to the Prado Museum, is “Las Meninas,” in which he tells the story of Infanta Margarita, her little meninas, and of course her parents (“Museo del Prado”). Velazquez effectively uses baroque style, intricate colors, and accurate positions in “Las Meninas” to allude that social status is imperative.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. However, what words are being told in the Codex Mensoza 1964, Lám (Brumfiel 1991: 224) and more importantly what influential role did the Spanish heritage have in the artifacts? These credentials were offered as form of resolute of Aztec women’s productive activities in Mexico. Nevertheless, Bromfiel paint a different picture of the Aztec women. In these sketches, Brumfiel draws our attention to the background in which the women are performing their “productive activities.” (Brumfiel 1991: 224) At first glance, these images are portraying Aztec women. However, after careful scrutiny of the photos, I noticed several an uncanny discoveries. In the first two portraits, both of the weaving instruments appear to be bound to Roman and/or Spanish columns (to my untrained eye). In the last two illustrations, I observed “productive activities” (Brumfiel 1991: 224) of cooking being performed, in what appears to be in a non-traditional work environment that does not correspond with the “productive activities” (Brumfiel 1991: 224) of the women in that era. One appears to be working in luxury room while the other seems to be overlooking the mountains from a balcony. Although these duties were performed in a residential setting, the pictures fail to emphasi...
This places the reader in recognisable landscape which is brought to life and to some extent made clearer to us by the use of powerful, though by no means overly literary adjectives. Machado is concerned with presenting a picture of the Spanish landscape which is both recognisable and powerful in evoking the simple joys which it represents. Furthermore, Machado relies on what Arthur Terry describes as an `interplay between reality and meditation' in his description of landscape. The existence of reality in the text is created by the use of geographical terms and the use of real names and places such as SOrai and the Duero, while the meditation is found in...
In addition, the Chicano artists sought to demonstrate pride and air their grievances while empowering the community. The number one aesthetic goal was the continued search an organic unity between art and the real social living. However much the content and styles of the art forms and murals were distinct, there was a constant theme that continued to develop such as the reclamation of the lost indigenous history. The return of the practices, ceremonies, and their ancestral ways gave the Chicano people strength and direction. This can be certainly viewed as the evolution of the Chicano struggle and development of their artistic nature. Through the many art forms created by the Chicano people, they have been able to their history and represent their struggle hoping for a better future (Arreola,
Diego Rivera was deemed the finest Mexican painter of the twentieth century; he had a huge influence in art worldwide. Rivera wanted to form his own painting fashion. Although he encountered the works of great masters like Gauguin, Renoir, and Matisse, he was still in search of a new form of painting to call his own (Tibol, 1983). His desire was to be capable of reaching a wide audience and express the difficulties of his generation at the same time, and that is exactly what h...
Through various motifs, themes and mediums, the visual art of the Chicano movement addressed issues of intolerance, racism, marginalization and discrimination. By re-interpreting traditional art of Mexico, accessing the culture of their pre-Columbian ancestors, creating strong local communities, and directly addressing controversial economic and political issues, artists involved in the movement recognized the need for visual imagery that embodied the political efforts of Mexican-American immigrants and citizens who fought and continue to fight for racial and cultural acceptance, recognition and representation.
Las Meninas is considered one of the greatest paintings of all time by critics and casual admirers of art alike. It was painted during a time when Spain’s glory was declining, and Velázquez was surrounded by the remnants of a once-great court, which was now in shambles and debt. King Philip had entered depression, due to the fact that he did not have a suitable male heir to the throne and was bankrupted by the Thirty Years’ War, and paid little effort to governing his country. He had lost power, and his portrait in the mirror of Las Meninas illustrates the shadow of what Philip had once been. The center and main focus of the painting is La Infanta Margarita, Philip’s five-year-old daughter. Light streams through a window onto her face, illuminating her with a golden light. Two of her meninas, or ladies-in-waiting, are located on either side of the princess, one kneeling and offering her a glass of water with another rising from a curtsy. On the right side, the dwarf Mari-Bárbola and the midget Nicolas Pertusato stand, along with a brown dog. Behind them, a man and woman are in conversation. On the left side, a massive canvas looms over the group as Velázquez, the artist, stands behind it with his brush and palette. On the dark back wall, two paintings hang along with a mirror which reflects the countenances of the king and queen. A man stands in the doorway of a door in the back of the room, with his hand on a curtain as if he has just pulled it open. The room appears almost empty, save for the figures in it, and this emptiness is amplified by the room’s high ceiling. Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez’s masterpiece, Las Meninas, conveys a message telling of the crumbling political situation and uncertain future of Spain at the ...
Throughout the worlds history, many forms of folk art have been established. One easily identifiable is that of the Mexican folk art. Mexican folk art has great range and variety. This is primarily because the difference in available materials spread throughout the land. There are over a hundred types of clay, different woods and metals, and even a vast array of vegetable fibers used in textile work that let to a drastic amount of recognizable differences in the art. Artists used a large variety of animal, mineral, and vegetable products to dye and paint their pieces. There is also a very different stylization based on geographic locations and split of communities. This is due to the settling of invading Mesoamerican culture mixed with the Spanish and Arabic cultures. Although there is a vast amount of traditional folk art products from Mexico, pottery, wood burning, glass blowing, and paper mache are staples of the Mexican folk art culture. When Mexico ...
This idea can be proven in the chapters’ headings, as it not only studies the décor of history, the city, but also the different roles and the sacred, religious part, linking the city and it’s people together. In the “Local Perspective” chapters among others, she does a tremendous work of truly explaining the Aztec culture through poems, dances, prayers and others (p.101) because as we know, Aztecs did not evolve around the written texts, and thus their culture has to be studied
This is a job for people who like to work with their hands. Who like to dress up in biohazard suits and carry lanterns around in dark sewers underground. Also gets to carry a lot of inspection and sample tools.