Diego Rivera (19)


Source: WTL digital photograph taken at the Palacio Nacional, Mexico City.
Comments: This mural panel by Diego Rivera is on the left side of the north wall. It is titled "The Great City of Tenochtitlán" (1942). It measures roughly 15 feet by 30 feet. In the upper right we see the Aztec emperor overseeing the market activities; above him to the left near the center is the twin pyramid of Tlatelolco; the Great Temple of Tenochtitlán dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tláloc is at the end of the causeway at the upper extreme right, it being on the other end of the island. In the background are the canals, the lake, and the mountains. In the foreground is the bustling commercial and artistic activity of the Tlatelolco district of the capital of the Aztec empire.
Humanities Topics: Identify the style and content of this mural panel. What is the relationship between this mural and 20th century Mexican culture? In what way is this mural didactic? In what way is this mural artistically beautiful?