Master of Fine Arts

thesisMaster of ArtsArt/Art HistoryIn his mural From Porfirio to the Revolution, found in the National Museum of History in Mexico City, David Alfaro Siqueiros paints the history of the 1910 Revolution. However, the history of the 1910 Revolution is only one topic of this complicated mural, which contains several layers of meaning. Very little scholarly writing has been devoted to discussion of this entire mural and its cryptic nature. This thesis includes a first-time description of the commission, an account of the powerful spatial construction, and a complete visual analysis of each individual wall. In addition, the final chapter provides a detailed historical framing of the mural, exploring the complicated relationship between the artist, the 1910 Revolution, and the political climate of Mexico in the 1950s and 1960s.The commission of From Porfirio to the Revolution explains the original program of the mural. From start to finish it is possible to see changes made by Siqueiros from the original commission in order to portray his own political ideas. These changes demonstrate the artists evolving social and political views and the complex nature of this mural and its relationship to the artist and his political and social agendas. Moreover, the originally commissioned mural grew from 80 square meters to over 420 square meters The deviation from the original commission directly reflects Siqueiros' political and social views