art history

for those of you who fell asleep during your art history classes in college, here's a quick synopsis of why these murals are so cool...
so, if someone was going to be an artist for their career (we're talking back in the day, here) they needed someone who appreciated their work to foot the bill.
who could that be?
really rich people, of course.
so if your boss was a rich person, what kinds of things would she/he require you to paint?
flattering pictures of her/him with the family dog, of course.
that probably has something to do with why you fell asleep in art history...
fast forward to the early 20th century...
diego rivera and frida kahlo, among others, were part of a movement that started changing that. their art was different and new because it portrayed everyday people doing everyday things. it portrayed the dominant section of society more honestly and honored the experience of women, children, factory workers and farmers.
here are some shots of the rivera mural in the palacio cortes. this mural depicts the history of the people who were here before the arrival of europeans all the way through the conquest and and colonization...

note: the painting at the top is not part of this mural. it is called 'sueño de una tarde dominical en la alameda central'. it is in the diego rivera museum in mexico city.