Art and Architecture in Mexico (World of Art)

ThisnewinterpretivehistoryofMexicanartandarchitecturefromtheSpanishConquesttotheearlydecadesofthe21stcenturyisthemostcomprehensiveintroductiontothesubjectinfiftyyears.JamesOlesrangeswidelyacrossmediaandgenres,offeringnewreadingsofpaintings,murals,sculptures,buildings,printsandphotographs.HeinterpretsmajorworksbysuchfamousartistsasDiegoRiveraandFridaKahlo,butalsodiscusseslessfamiliarfigureswhowereequallyimportantintheconstructionofnationalidentity.ThestoryofMexicanartissetinitsrichhistoricalcontextbythebookstreatmentofpoliticalandsocialchange.Theauthordrawsonrecentscholarshiptoexaminecrucialissuesofrace,classandgender,includinganexplorationoftheworkofindigenousartistsduringthecolonialperiod,andofwomenartistsinthe19thand20thcenturies.Throughout,OlesshowshowartistsinMexicoparticipatedinlocalandinternationaldevelopments,andhighlightstheimportantroleplayedbyMexicansintheartworldofthelastfivecenturies.