The painting entitled `Zapata con el caballo de Cortés` was painted in 1931, eleven years after the end of The Mexican Revolution, by the Mexican muralist – Diego Rivera. It represents the social economic and political revolution in Mexico led by peasants under the conduct of Emiliano Zapata against the authoritarian regime of the former president - Portfolio Diaz. In this analysis I will focus on the characters, the setting, the colours and the way they communicate in the painting.
Emiliano Zapata occupies a central place in this painting. He was the main leader of the peasant revolution in Mexico. At the back of the painting we can see his army which is mainly formed of common people. They are armed with bows, arrows and machetes in contrast to their leader, carrying only a sickle, used for cutting sugar cane. This displays that the people are soldiers and they are ready to fight to death for their freedom from the suppressors . Also it expresses their full devotion towards Zapata.
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Furthermore, by looking deeper at the painting we can establish that it is very unrealistic. It shows Zapata with Cortés`s horse which contradicts the fact that they lived in different time periods. Cortés was a Spanish conquistador who lived between XV-XVI centuries. He represents the inheritance of Spanish colonization and we can see Zapata in this painting as an incarnation of his ideals and values. The horse signifies power and the fact that another man is holding him symbolises hope that the justice will be brought back into this world. The way the animal looks towards Zapata displays a deep affection to his new master and also conveys trust in his capabilities as a leader. It is important to mention the presence of a man who is depicted, sprawled facedown at Zapata`s feet.
He represents the enemy and it suggests that the army of peasants is going to overpower the invaders. It also implies that there is a greater chance of bringing a change in the way Mexico is governed by uniting as many people as it is possible against the dominating rulers. Diego Rivera illustrates Emiliano Zapata as a powerful political figure who has a huge influence over people`s lives. The painting reveals that the power of the President Diaz`s government is only one simple manipulation of people`s minds.
In terms of colours, the white colour dominates in this painting. It signifies purity, freedom and change. In the past the rulers have dominated over the people but now the prevailing power is in the hands of the peasants. The large green leaves, echoing the horse`s mane in the painting symbolise the revival of the human mind and notify of the arriving change in people`s lives.
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
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Wayne, transforms this painting into a three dimensional abstract piece of art. The focal point of the painting are the figures that look like letters and numbers that are in the front of the piece of art. This is where your eyes expend more time, also sometimes forgiving the background. The way the artist is trying to present this piece is showing happiness, excitement, and dreams. Happiness because he transmits with the bright colours. After probably 15 minutes on front of the painting I can feel that the artist tries to show his happiness, but in serene calm. The excitement that he presents with the letters, numbers and figures is a signal that he feels anxious about what the future is going to bring. Also in the way that the colors in the background are present he is showing that no matter how dark our day can be always will be light to
Alfredo Corchado — is the author of the book named " Midnight in Mexico:A Reporter's Journey through a Country's Descent into Darkness”. We are, probably, all interested in finding out the facts, news, and gossips about Mexico. This country was always associated with something mysterious. For me personally, the title of the book seemed to be very gripping, I was interested in revealing the secrets of life in Mexico, thus I decided to read this book. I was really curious, what can Alfredo Corchado tell me about the life in this country, the country, where the constant massacre is the picture, people used to see. In his book, the author tells the reader about the real situations, which took place in Mexico, reveals the secrets of the people’s lives and tells the story from the “inside”. He describes the way he lives his life, and does his work. The " Midnight in Mexico: A Reporter's Journey through a Country's Descent into Darkness” is a memoir. Author tries to transform his own experience into the story line. Corchado shows the reader the darkest episodes of Mexican society, while relying on his own experience.
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
it is unmistakable that life situations inspired Juan Rulfo to write this story. He like no other person had a greater understanding of how to portray the theme of family especially missing a father as a role model, death, survival and revenge. Moreover, through the use of local Mexican language it furthermore developed the society in which peasants had to live during the post-revolution. Additionally Juan Rulfo tries to add all five senses in the story forming magical realism and a vivid picture that the readers can understand. Overall, the readers learn a lot about peasant’s approach to life after revolution that the main drive was
The painting is organized simply. The background of the painting is painted in an Impressionist style. The blurring of edges, however, starkly contrasts with the sharp and hard contours of the figure in the foreground. The female figure is very sharp and clear compared to the background. The background paint is thick compared to the thin lines used to paint the figures in the foreground. The thick paint adds to the reduction of detail for the background. The colors used to paint the foreground figures are vibrant, as opposed to the whitened colors of the Impressionist background. The painting is mostly comprised of cool colors but there is a range of dark and light colors. The light colors are predominantly in the background and the darker colors are in the foreground. The vivid color of the robe contrasts with the muted colors of the background, resulting in an emphasis of the robe color. This emphasis leads the viewer's gaze to the focal part of the painting: the figures in the foreground. The female and baby in the foreground take up most of the canvas. The background was not painted as the artist saw it, but rather the impression t...
...n, Gonzalez states his identity; "I am Aztec Prince and Christian Christ." This combination of culture is the basis of his poem, which can be found at http://www.pbs.org/chicano/joaquin.html, and is representative of the heritage of Mexican Americans. The concept of Aztlan is explained in Chicano!, and the mural ‘Corazon de Aztlan,’ found in Chicano Park (http://chicanopark.org/murals/north/n8.html ), reinforces the importance of this image in the lives of Chicanos. The myth of Aztlan symbolizes centuries of culture and struggles of Mexican Americans who went through incredibly difficult times throughout history, but never lost hope and always stayed strong, determined to one day be treated equally as citizens of the United States of America.
With the use of Botero's unique style of “Boterismo” he paints very fat characters and objects in his picture. With the name that Botero has given to this work, he is able to add not only a disappointed critique, but also adds humor, creating a comparison of a person who kills people, as animal hunters. With this name, he also gives out messages on how the hunters were killing humans as if they were just a animals. He also uses very vibrant colors that creates more symbolism and tension to the painting. The painting El Cazador was made up of oil painting in canvas, which allowed the painter to create light and shade in the artwork, as well as create an excellent diffusion of all the colors used in the painting.
Mexico City in the Age of Diaz is a literary illustration of one country’s struggle to define itself as a modern, cultured nation. Written mainly in the upper class point of view, the poor masses are defamed as lesser, indigenous beings. This anxiety of the Westside population and “President” Diaz lead not to reform but to exploitation and ignorance of social dilemmas. Europe and the United States served as a model for these citizens who craved status and acceptance due to the inherent inferiority complex gained by a historically conquered people.
Such controversy that followed him is one of the aspects of his art that made him stand out as a muralist during his lifetime (1). As with most artist his paintings became famous after his death (2) in 1957 due to heart failure in Mexico City, Mexico (1). His radical approach to art and his unique style have created a lasting impression on art and continue to do so (2). Widely regarded as the most influential Mexican artist of the twentieth century (3), Diego Rivera created a legacy in paint that continue to inspire the imagination and mind (2).
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...
Another form of expression and bringing awareness was through the way of art. The style of art and representation solely raised from the Chicano movement. Murals played a big part in the activism and progression people wanted to see. Most, if not all murals represented native Mexicans and their struggles of being oppressed. All murals told a story whether it was Mexico’s poverty or the farming industry. Many popular symbols and images were used again in the Chica...
In this sense, the film tests the resiliency of good human nature. The modern world is becoming increasingly set in its extremes, as the lifestyle of the poor vastly contrasts that of the wealthy. The implementation of NAFTA reflects this movement toward separation, despite the fact that it was intended to boost trade between regions and create more prosperity on both sides of the United States-Mexico border. The Mexican elites saw it as their salvation. Others saw it as “ a death sentence.” The Chiapas region itself exemplifies this gap, as well. The region was split between the relatively prosperous west, which was fertile and characterized by commercial development, and the poor, subsistence-oriented east. It was not by accident that the Zapatista movement began in Chiapas as the struggle between ranchers, landowners, and subsistence farmers was intensified by NAFTA.
Life in Mexico was, before the Revolution, defined by the figure of the patron that held all of power in a certain area. Juan Preciado, who was born in an urban city outside of Comala, “came to Comala because [he] had been told that [his] father, a man named Pedro Paramo lived there” (1). He initially was unaware of the general dislike that his father was subjected to in that area of Mexico. Pedro was regarded as “[l]iving bile” (1) by the people that still inhabited Comala, a classification that Juan did not expect. This reveals that it was not known by those outside of the patron’s dominion of the cruel abuse that they levied upon their people. Pedro Paramo held...
His head is unnaturally twisted in a painful way while clutching onto a broken sword with his other arm. I would have to say that he was most likely a soldier who died in the battle. His broken sword represents his attempt to fight against the German and Italian engines of modern warfare. However, the fight he put up was sadly not enough to affect the outcome of the bombing of Guernica. It is a powerful image for it which it symbolizes as a sign of defeat. However if you look very closely, there is a flower that was drawn very lightly above the sword, almost unnoticeable. I thought this was an interesting feature of the painting that Picasso added since most of the drawings represented either chaos, despair, or pain but this tiny little flower above the soldier’s severed arm is a subtle symbol of hope. Although the flower is very faint, it is very significant and symbolizes the possibility that there is hope in the future amongst all of the destruction that was currently
Orozco’s masterwork “The Trench” (1926) is a restrained yet disconcerting representation of the revolution’s violence. Orozco haunted by the carnage and chaos he had witnessed firsthand emphasizes on the death, suffering, and violence brought on by the revolution. Three soldiers are seen as they fall to their death, their falling and lifeless bodies form a tilted cross. The cross, which is another stereotypical and favored symbols of mexicanidad. Orozco implemented this christian iconography in a cubist arrangement which was distinct in the modernist style of twentieth century Mexico. While Orozco was the least politically dogmatic and the most outwardly pessimistic, Diego Rivera idealized the armed struggle of the peasants. Rivera’s