Dr. Desmond Rochfort, himself a large-format painter, produced Mexican Muralists after an earlier study focusing solely on the work of Diego Rivera. Here, the author has widened the discussion to include two other giants of Mexico’s 20th-century social realist movement, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. The result is a panoramic look at a turbulent, semi-idealistic segment of art history, the legacy of which is still taking shape.
Overall Content and Structure of the Book
Perhaps inevitably, Rochfort’s volume follows a political approach. After an initial chapter on the revolutionary context of the muralist movement, the book features discussions on social and artistic origins, work and activities of the 1920s, Rivera and Orozco in the 1930s, utopian and technological themes in Mexican muralism, Rivera and Orozco in the 1940s and 50s, and Siqueiros during the period of 1940-1971.
It is not immediately apparent why Rochfort has so markedly separated Siqueiros from the other two artists. Distinctions include stylistic differences, such as the contrast between Orozco’s rough-hewn painterly surfaces, Rivera’s lush, organic compositions, and the rebellious dynamism of Siqueiros. Political nuances are, it seems, more relevant. Rochfort emphasizes Siqueiros’s radicalism while observing the moderation, for example, that colored Rivera’s later years.
Visual Aspects of Mexican Muralists
The coffee-table sized, paperback format lends itself to pleasant handling and a robust appreciation of the work. As one might expect from a discussion of Latin American painting, the majority of pages dazzle the eye. Of course, most of the works under discussion have an architectural scope and expansiveness that can’t be captured in print. Placing the entirety of Siqueiros’s Portrait of the Bourgeoisie on one page, for example, comes close to defeating the mural’s purpose.
Sufficient detail cutaways are provided throughout the book, however, giving the reader more intimate perspectives. Archival materials are presented as well, including several fascinating black-and-white images of models posed in preparatory studies. These are small in size but still offer an intriguing look at stages of the mural-making process.
Appendix and Content for Further Art Historical Study
In addition to his training as a studio artist, Rochfort also holds advanced degrees in art history, and his scholarship appears to be first-rate. The text is dense yet readable, with an admirable attention to historical pressures that, fortunately, never overwhelm a broader art-book sensibility. Useful footnotes and an extensive bibliography leave little to wish for.
One exception to the previous statement: the lack of a historical timeline or at least a basic chronology. Some scholars might view this as a frivolous objection, but such items have their uses. Being able to quickly assess the lifespan of each artist, for example, would help students and other readers who are just beginning to study the movement.
Mexican Muralists by Desmond Rochfort. Chronicle Books, 1993. ISBN 0811819280.
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