This mural was created by Emanuel Martinez in 1986 and is a gift of the Hispanic Arts Council. This Mestizo mural incorporates multiple cultures, media and styles. The focal point of this 200 foot long and 10″” high composition is a Mestiza representing the fusion of the Spanish and Indian cultures in the Americas. The entire mural reflects the artist’s social commentary and desire to promote pride in Hispanic heritage. It is a superb example of the monumentality of the artist’s style. See additional photos below for details of each panel from left to right.
The first panel shows a Mayan holding a bowl, symbolic of the pre-Columbian world, then a vertical crack and finally a figure of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the most popular image of the Virgin Mary in the Americas.
The next five panels incorporate the artist’s personal impressions of influential Hispanic artists José Guadalupe Posada (death riding a horse), José Clements Orozco, Diego Rivera, David Siquieros (a Mestiza in chains), and Rufino Tamayo.
The center panel is the focal point of the entire mural and shows the head of a mestiza (feminine for mestizo) which represents the fusion of the Spanish and Indian cultures in the Americas. She is flanked on the left by the profile of an Indian woman holding a paint brush and on the right by a bearded Spaniard holding a palette.
The eighth through tenth panels (to the right of the center) include the artist’s impressions of the styles of Spanish artists Pablo Picasso, Diego Vel ... view more »
This mural was created by Emanuel Martinez in 1986 and is a gift of the Hispanic Arts Council. This Mestizo mural incorporates multiple cultures, media and styles. The focal point of this 200 foot long and 10″” high composition is a Mestiza representing the fusion of the Spanish and Indian cultures in the Americas. The entire mural reflects the artist’s social commentary and desire to promote pride in Hispanic heritage. It is a superb example of the monumentality of the artist’s style. See additional photos below for details of each panel from left to right.
The first panel shows a Mayan holding a bowl, symbolic of the pre-Columbian world, then a vertical crack and finally a figure of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the most popular image of the Virgin Mary in the Americas.
The next five panels incorporate the artist’s personal impressions of influential Hispanic artists José Guadalupe Posada (death riding a horse), José Clements Orozco, Diego Rivera, David Siquieros (a Mestiza in chains), and Rufino Tamayo.
The center panel is the focal point of the entire mural and shows the head of a mestiza (feminine for mestizo) which represents the fusion of the Spanish and Indian cultures in the Americas. She is flanked on the left by the profile of an Indian woman holding a paint brush and on the right by a bearded Spaniard holding a palette.
The eighth through tenth panels (to the right of the center) include the artist’s impressions of the styles of Spanish artists Pablo Picasso, Diego Velázquez and El Greco.
The 13th and 14th panels show examples of Southwestern art: a blanket, a pot and a basket.
The 15th and final panel (on the right) depicts a Santero, a descendant of the Mestiza, carving Christ on the cross. (Source: Dedication plaque and “Discussing Murals”, an FAC internal publication)
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