Mexican Identity Through the Eyes of Diego Rivera By: John G. Homan
Abstract
Diego Rivera's murals are important to the national European and indigenous cultures. Mexican history is identity of the Mexican people as a whole because of rich in both heroic saviors and despotic oppressors. their didactic influence in a historical and social context. Rivera showed how the nation overcame the stigma of Through these images Rivera introduced new concepts the conquest to become a new race of people who pos of self-determination and a feeling of national pride into sessed in their blood the best of Europe and the the collective unconscious where shame and low self Americas. Rivera portrayed an entire picture of all that esteem had been the norm before. While his art may be had happened-the good and the bad-as a unified dominated by Marxist symbolism, he taught timeless whole. truths and celebrated the unique mixture that La Raza brings to our world. An examination of four selections of Rivera's works, including an early poster from the time of the Revolution, In 1932, Nelson Rockefeller, one of the richest men will help explain how his unique style influenced Mexican in America, commissioned a mural by a famous artist for identity. Rivera's style became distinct from other artists, the sum of twenty-one thousand dollars. The artist especially in the way he painted people. Many of his worked at a feverish pace, and the first results of the murals contain excellent portraits of famous people, but mural pleased Rockefeller. They were full of colors and his murals are more than just mass portraitures of impor vivid imagery that seemed to draw you in . Nevertheless, tant figures from Mexico. Before artists such as Rivera, when the fresco was almost done, the artist was pre portraiture depicted people in the roles society gave vented from completing his work, and ushered out of the them. John Berger's essay, "The Changing View of the building by security guards. A small portrait in the lower Man in the Portrait" examines how portraiture itself is right center of the mural was the cause of the firestorm. insufficient to capture individual identity. He points out The figure was that of Vladimir Lenin, the father of com that the identity of a person cannot be established sim munism, and the fact that the artist refused to remove ply by "preserving and fixing what he looks like from a the image from his work led to its ultimate destruction. single viewpoint in one place" (Berger 67). Portrait painters in the past used their work to "idealize [the] cho Controversy was nothing new for Diego Rivera; sen social role of the sitter" (Berger 61 ). Berger adds some even say he thrived on it. His murals were often that portraits "had nothing to do with the modern lonely filled with images of historical and political figures, and desire to be recognized for 'what one really is"' (Berger the messages were not always complimentary. Even 62) . today, different groups claim his images illustrate their own political aims. But going beyond simple commen Rivera's portraits were not static images simply plac tary, his paintings explained things visually in ways that ing people in their established social roles, but instead words could not. His art, especially his murals, created showed the identity of the people he painted more fully, a visual history and national myth that still helps define by incorporating their personal history and place in the the Mexican nation. Octavio Paz, Mexico's celebrated nation. It was this expression of the history of so many poet and thinker, described the difficult search for individuals that communicated abstract ideas about the Mexican identity in his book The Labyrinth of Solitude. nation as a whole. In his murals in the Palace of Cortes, Paz may not have named Diego Rivera when he penned Rivera shows the freedom fighter Zapata striking down a this, but it describes Rivera and his work perfectly: Hacienda overseer (Figure 2.). We see Zapata identified for what he did, for his place in his history, and not sim The history of Mexico is the history of a man ply as a social stereotype. Rivera's ability to capture seeking his parentage, his origins. He has been individual identities rather than social stereotypes came influenced at one time or another by France, from an unlikely source. He introduced elements that Spain, and the United States and the militant have classically been part of comics into his art. indigenists of his own country, and he crosses history like a jade comet, now and then giving Traditionally, comics have not been considered fine off flashes of lightning. (20) art, but their influence is far reaching. In his essay, "Setting the Record Straight," Scott McCloud argues that Mexico's national identity is vastly different from other "People [failed] to understand comics because they nations because Mexicans celebrate the blending of defined what comics could be too narrowly" (360). He
25 introduces Will Eisner's description of comics as that divine law did not forbid them to repossess the land "sequential art," and expands the definition of comics which rightfully belonged to them. The corrupt Church of (McCloud 362). The idea of using multiple images to tell the time had been preaching the converse" (86). Rivera a larger story has been used throughout the centuries. realized that "since the majority of peasants could not McCloud shows examples of sequential art existing in read" he had to illustrate the message (86). pre-Columbian and Egyptian art, as well as famous This motivation towards art with a social meaning works such as the Bayeux Tapestry from France (367- was a result of Rivera's introduction to Marxism while in 372). What sets sequential art apart from traditional por Paris. When he returned to Mexico and was faced with traits is the manner in which it handles space and time. the realities of the struggles of the campesinos for land Since comics have the ability to show not only the pro and freedom , the principles of Marxism began to change gression of time, but also the actions occurring during his perception of the purpose of art. Graham Gordon's that time, they are able to express identity in a way very essay, "The Marxist Theory of Art" explores this change different from portraiture. of perception. Gordon asserts "central to the Marxist conception is the idea art has a social function. It can Rivera's connection to comics is Jose Posada. confirm or unsettle the preconceptions upon which the Posada produced thousands of illustrations for newspa structure of social and economic power rests" (116). pers including many great editorial cartoons. His illustra This poster was the beginning of a commitment to art tions took the place of photographs in many publications that informed and empowered Mexicans. Not only that, and communicated the essence of the story through one but he was also creating art that was accessible to all picture. This was especially important since many of the Mexicans, not just the literate or the intelligentsia, but to people could not read at the time. Rivera considered everybody. Later on , through his murals, he would begin Posada one of his greatest influences. In fact, Posada is to form a picture of national identity and character painted front and center in Rivera's painting, Dream of a through a visual vocabulary that everyone could under Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park. Bertram Wolfe's stand. biography, The Fabulous Life of Diego Rivera, explains that when Rivera was a young art student he spent a El Mundo Azteca (The Aztec World, also called El great deal of time in Posada's shop (34-35). It was there Antigua Mundo lndfgena - Fig. 2) is the next work we will that Rivera discovered a sense of movement-of creat examine. This is one panel in the series of frescoes in ing images that move and are alive (Wolfe 34-35). The the national palace. Rivera set out to create a history of fusion between the styles of portraiture and comics the Mexican people from the time of the Aztec empire enabled Rivera to paint an accurate picture of the char through the conquest by the Spaniards and ended with acter of a nation. Rivera's murals show us the likeness a prophetic section of the mural looking into the future. of its historical figures and ordinary people and the This work explores the culture, legends, crafts, and daily events that have shaped the way Mexico sees itself as a life of the Aztec people. The great god Quetzalcoatl and nation. More than that, Rivera sought to teach his coun his legends are seen here, as well as the valiant warriors trymen that they did not have to let history repeat itself; in battle. But we also see scenes of the great pyramids, they could be the masters of their own destiny. people planting corn, making music, and creating cloth and sculpture. This was important because of the neg The first work examined shows just how much ative way the Mexican people perceived their indigenous Posada influenced Rivera's work. This is a poster called ancestors in the past. They preferred to emphasize their El Reparto De Tierras (The Division of the Land, Figure Spanish heritage. In Boye Lafayette De Mente's book, 1) . This was produced before any of his murals. This NTC's Dictionary of Cultural Code Words of Mexico, he picture is certainly not as attractive as some of Rivera's explains that "the ancient Spanish and Indian belief that other works, but it is remarkable in its own way. Rivera white-skinned people are superior remains deep-seated designed this poster to be distributed to campesinos in the consciousness of Mexicans of all shades" (161 ). during the Mexican Revolution of 1910. The picture illus trates a farmer plowing the land with his team of oxen . Even today it is still common to meet Mexicans who His rifle is close at hand and he is wearing a cartridge are quick to point out that their heritage is more Castilian belt around his shoulder. His wife is sitting nearby, tend than indigenous. The majority of people on Mexican tel ing to their child. As he works, a vision of Christ appears evision and other media tend to appear very European, over the field he is plowing. His hands are pierced and and are very different from the average people you meet we can see the Sacred Heart, as he appears to be on the street. For many Mexicans, a real sense of infe blessing the work of the farmer. In his autobiography, riority exists when comparing their indigenous culture to Rivera describes the message he was trying to commu the European cultures. nicate: "its message to the poor, ignorant farmers was
26 Rivera not only educated people in their non country in the world in which the bulk of the population European heritage, but celebrated it as well. Marnham consists of the racial merger of the indigenous people explains that "Rivera delighted to boast of his mixed with European whites and African blacks-a merger that blood, and one of the ways of doing this was by creating produced a new breed of people" (160). This fusion of a romantic myth of Mexico's Aztec past" (302). In El Aztec and European cultures is what makes Mexico so Mundo Azteca, Rivera was presenting an entirely differ unique. In 1908 Jose Vasconcelos, the education minis ent view than that of the prevailing stereotype of the ter who would later commission Rivera's murals on pub Aztecs as weak and ignorant savages. Instead he por lic buildings, first explored the idea of the mixed lineage trayed them as a peo- of Mexicans as ple as intelligent and being a positive refined as the thing. The term Europeans who con EL REPARTO DE TIERRAS "La Raza" was quered them. De coined to express Mente compares the A LOS POBRES NO SE OPONE A LAS this new race. De Aztec society to the ENStNANZAS DE NUESJRO SENOR Mente defines La Roman Empire. Raza as "a superi Aztecs "were imbued JESUGRISTO Y DE LA8ANTAMADRE or in a humanistic, with a driving will to be IGLESIA. philosophical, spir in power," but they also i:;-0 &ii!Q. - , itual and artistic "cultivated the senses sense, made up of of aesthetic apprecia a people who are tion and practiced a a product of the refined system of man ~~~ best of Europe ners" (De Mente 22). and the best of the In Aztec society there New World" (161 ). were "profound Rivera's attempt to philosophers, poets, IJr preserve the ideas and artists of the high of La Raza est order'' (De Mente through El Mundo 22). De Mente Azteca is exactly believes that "life in why this work is pre-Columbian Mexico still essential for was just as varied as it defining who is in many countries of Mexicans were in the world today" (20). EL PUEBLO "EXl.OANO .r EL.Eo \ the beginning, and who they are When the Mexican YSUFRIO DIEZ ANOS i today. people try to ignore that part of their past, I Qu£Ri£NDO lfALLAR.LA PALA6RA l The last two it leaves a hole in their murals we will own cultural identity. analyze revolve Paz compares it to a l DE NuESTRO SENOR JEsucRisro · J around the theme wound" caused by of the empower "separation from one's ment of the peo parents, matrix or Fig. 1. Diego Rivera, El Reparto De Tierras, Jean Charlot Collection (Tyler 48) ple. The first is (Translation of the top half of text) "The distribution of land to the poor is not native land" (64). In Zapata's Horse contrary to the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Mother the same way people Church" (Rivera 86) . (Translation of bottom half of text) "The Mexican peo (figure 3) . This try to cover up a phys ple fought and suffered ten years desiring to discover the word of our Lord image is part of a ical flaw that makes Jesus Christ" (Translated by John Homan). larger series of them appear different frescoes in the from other people, Palace of Cortes. many Mexicans find it difficult to celebrate their mixed In this series of murals the story of the Conquest of heritage. They fail to see how that same heritage makes Mexico by Spain and the effects of colonialism are por them unique compared to the rest of the world. De trayed in multiple panels. The destruction of the Aztec Mente explains it this way, "Mexico is the only major culture and the suffering of the people in slavery to their
27 new masters, as well as the abuses of the Mexican peo present and our past...to change it into a living thing: a ple at the hands of the Catholic Church, including the past made present" (144). In this mural Rivera not only inquisition, are portrayed vividly. The striking conclusion explained the nightmarish history of the past of Mexico, of this series of murals is the image of Emiliano Zapata but he also pointed to the liberation of his countrymen triumphing over the hacienda overseer. The hacienda from that past. The cycle of abuse and oppression owner, with his great white horse and steely blade, lies ended with Zapata. Even the building the mural was on the ground at the feet of Zapata, who is armed with a painted on , the Palace of Cortes, the frame of this new sickle. Zapata holds the reins to the great steed now, portrait of the Mexican people, testifies to the fact the possibly symbolic of the control of this great country with nation of Mexico was overcoming its past.
all its resources, finally in the hands of the people. In the recent biography, Dreaming With His Eyes Open: A Life of Diego Rivera, Patrick Marnhan describes Emiliano Zapata, one of the leaders of the Mexican why this was such an important mural to Rivera, "To be Revolution of 1910, appears often in Rivera's murals able to retell the history of the Conquest, and to redefine more often than Benito Juarez, who has been called the Mexican identity on the walls of the palace which the George Washington of Mexico. Paz helps us to under conqueror had imposed on his subject people, was, for stand the value of the Zapatista movement to Mexican Rivera the culmination of everything he had set out to identity when he explains "the Zapatistas did not con achieve ..." (226). Marnhan believes that the portrait of ceive of Mexico as a future to be realized but as a return Zapata as the conclusion of the story of the mural points to origins" (144). He proceeds even further by stating to the fact that the cycle that started the nightmare of the that "the Revolution became an attempt to integrate our Conquest has been ended by the uprising of the people
28 during the Revolution of 1910 (227). Zapata was sym see more timeless messages. The theme of empower bolic of the genuine, native-born people of Mexico taking ment to the campesinos and workers, of taking up arms back their country on their own , not as the pawns of the against the oppressors is what is represented here. European-trained generals and politicians of Mexico, Similar to the portrait of Zapata, this picture is about whose primary concern appeared to be their own enrich Mexicans taking control of their destiny. Paz explains the ment. change in how Mexicans saw themselves after the Revolution, "for the The last paint first time in over ing we will examine three hundred is called In the years, we have Arsenal (also called ceased to be an Insurrection Fig. 4) . inert material which This picture is also a the strong could part of a larger set use as they wished" of murals in the (192-193). Where Ministry of Public Mexicans were sim Education in Mexico ply "objects" before, City. The multi-level now they have mural tells a story become "agents of about the revolution. historical [change]" Above each of the (Paz 193). It is panels are lyrics to worth noting that a corrido, telling the the first Zapatistas story of the Mexican were not Marxist Revolution. In the intellectuals. They Arsenal is one of the were farmers and final panels in the shopkeepers. That mural. It depicts the is what makes them distribution of arms of such vital impor to workers. This tance. They were occurs in a work ordinary people shop with lathes who had suffered and other equip beyond their abili ment for manufac- ties to forbear any turing weapons. longer. They had Children and nothing left to lose. women unpack and Just like the minute distribute rifles, men of the ammunition, and American bayonets to a mass Revolution , they of workers. There is were willing to risk a central figure wav their lives to gain ing a Soviet flag Fig. 3. Diego Rivera, Zapata's Horse. Palace of Cortes, Cuernavaca. liberty. pointing to the right towards a group of men on horses. These men on hors Diego Rivera's art continues to be as relevant today es are the Zapatistas of the Revolution of 1910. They as it was when he painted it-maybe more so. The are dressed in the white pants and shirts of the nation still needs these messages he left on their walls. campesino, but all have red bandanas. They are also His murals still explain what is great about Mexico as a carrying a red flag that reads "iTierra y Libertdad!", but nation; their messages of hope and courage are still nec it has a red sickle on it. The Zapatistas are shaking the essary. Many Mexicans still live in extreme poverty and hands of these new freedom fighters of the future, as if the indigenous peoples are still treated as second-class asking them to continue on in the work they started. citizens. While the new President Vicente Fox is trying to change the country for the better, corruption and The communist symbolism is certainly less than human rights abuse continue to be a problem in the gov subtle in this picture. However, looking past that we can ernment, police, and military. Consider the example of
29 human rights lawyer Ochoa Digna. She spent years Rivera's work asks this question today: will Mexico bringing charges against the army for various human rise up and stop this new cycle of oppression like Zapata rights abuses. Then on October 19, 2001 , an unknown did in 191 O? The players may be different now, but the assassin shot her in the head. There are some people suffering is familiar. There are still elements in business who believe her death is linked to the military, or to pow and government that would bleed the people dry like the erful business interests. hacienda owners did in 1910. In his article in US Besides the internal problems in Mexico, there are Catholic magazine titled "Dear Tio Sam ," Kevin Clarke the challenges of its emergence into the global commu explains Pope John Paul IV's idea of an economic nity. Many multi-national companies use Mexico's peo process he calls "authentic development": ple for cheap labor in the abundant maquilladoras. Mexico's relationship with America has changed also, In this process development is measured not especially through the North American Free Trade Act. just by material enrichment or rising per-capita Mexicans thought they would see more jobs and oppor incomes but by how much technological, med tunities; however, in their neighborhoods, some are only ical, and educational improvements actually seeing more Wal-Marts - places they can't afford to pass on to the common people. In this authen shop. There is also the issue of the millions of Mexicans tic development, economies are put to the serv who work seasonally in the U.S. and send money back ice of people, not the other way around, in a home to their families. Mexicans are becoming more process of relationship building and mutual cul dependent on the U.S. economy than ever before. tural respect. (27)
Fig. 4. Diego Rivera, In the Arsenal. Ministry of Public Education , Mexico City
30 This process will not happen by chance. It won't happen Rivera, Diego. El Mundo Azteca. 1935. National as a natural result of market forces. If Mexico is to have Palace, Mexico City. 20 February 2003. a chance for a just government and equitable economy,
Marnham, Patrick. Dreaming With Hacienda - A large, manor type house. Also His Eyes Open: A Life of Diego Rivera. used when referring to large agricultural New York: Knopf, 1998. communities that was ruled by one landowner. Haciendas were very com McCloud, Scott. "Setting the Record Straight." man during the 19th century before the Coleman 359-382. revolution in the early 20th century. Because of the abject poverty of the Paz, Octavio. The Labyrinth of Solitude: Life campesinos, haciendas were more like and Thought in Mexico. Trans. Lysander medieval fiefdoms unto themselves. Kemp. New York: Random House, 1961 La Raza - Refers to the mixed lineage of indige "Quetzalcoatl." Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia nous people and Europeans. La Raza is 99. CD-ROM. Redmond: 1993-1998. also considered the best of both worlds, also called the "Cosmic Race". Rivera, Diego, Gladys March. My Art, My Life: An Autobiography. New York: Maquilladoras - Foreign owned factories in The Citadel Press: 1960. Mexico. They allow their owners to capi talize on cheap labor and lax environmen Rivera, Diego. In the Arsenal. 1928. Ministry of tal standards. Public Education, Mexico City. 20 February 2003
31 as the Plumed, or Feathered, Serpent, the translation of his Nahuatl name" (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99). jTierra y Libertdad! - The rallying cry of the Zapatista Movement, it means "land and freedom". The Zapatistas originated as a result of hacienda owners taking land from campesinos through illegal or immoral means.
John G. Homan is currently a freshman majoring in Spanish. He wrote his paper, Mexican Identity Through the Eyes of Diego Rivera, tor Kate Egerton's W131 class.
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