“Self portrait in the border between Mexico and US” by Frida Kahlo 1932 Painted in Detroit. Shows Frida in between U.S. and Mexico. To her she sees Mexico with its symbols like sun/moon temples, skulls, natural earth, rocks, plants. Plants have roots. Symbolizes Mexico is her roots. The roots grow into the otherside to America’s factory plants. Ground is flat like concrete. No nature, clouds are smoke from factories. She stands in the middle very stagnant. She seems stuck in between. The U.S. side is very cluttered, Mexico has a path that leads you to the temples. The painting is very symmetrical. She has a cigarette in one hand and a mexcian flag in the other. Her dress is European.

“Striking Worker Assassinated” by Manuel Alvarez Bravo 1934 Photograph with an explicity political message. Photographed the lower class, poverty. Viewer looks at the person not down on, symbolic. Eyes open, blood splattered, shows brutality. Fascinated with death.

“Portrait of Sculptors Pérez and Valero” by Juan

Cordero 1847 Painted in neoclassical style. One of the first paintings of mestizo in neoclassical form. They are in sculptors smock. One looks directly at us, the other away. Young, on scholarship. Holding sculptors tools.

“The Bather” by Cordero 1854 Painting that combines Mexican and European elements. Painted from a model. The girl is shy, modest, eyes diverted from viewer. She is in a tropical landscape. She wears white, purity. Bathed in a golden, pink light. Serene. Remincient of French painter, bourguereau. Has mexcian embroidery on drapery. Very dark haired.

Columbus before the Catholic Monarchs” by Juan Cordero 1849-1850

Neoclassical. 6x10 ft. Huge. Hailed, everyone liked it from Spain, Mexico, U.S. which is hard to do. Shown in Academy. First American subject in a history painting. Spotlight on king, queen, colombus, all Europeans. Very luxurious. Indigenous people in the dark, faceless, crouching. Colombus points to them as an offering, positioned like on the map. Red power, blue elite, gold riches.

“Death of Atala” by Juan Cordero 1854 Neoclassical painting. Scandalous because of nude woman. Women were not to be depicted unclothed in Mexico. First public exhibition of female nude. Indigenous because of earth tones, although the whiteness of the woman shows European influence. Fryer represents faith, dog represents loyalty. Light shining on her, coming from her.

“Dolores Tosta de Santa Anna” by Cordero 1855

Painted to thank Santa Anna, to show off “look what you’re missing” for director position. Full length. Frnech style dress, frnch furnishings, chair is throne, crown, fan, handkerchief. Very artistocratic. Lined up with pillars “pillar of church and state” Shows allegiance to church and state? Depicts wife in palace after he was overthrown in 1854.

Pedro Patiño Ixtolinque “America” 1830

Stone funerary monument for Morelos. America as a female allegorical figure. Rests on her arm which is a European position for melancholy, meditation. She wears a short fringe tunic. Contrepasto position.

“Moctezuma” by Manuel Vilar 1850 traditional indigenous clothing  steps with one leg out, contrepasto. looks like a ruler. Powerful. European. Authentically Mexican. Invokes nationalism.  Ruler when cortes invaded.

“La Malinche” by manuel Vilar 1852 rumors” helped Cortez defeat Mayans. First native woman converted to Christianity, wears cross. Translater. Indigenous gress. “Mother of Mexico” Contrepasto. Looks sensitive, kind, not a negative portrayal of her. Her hand is out and open, welcoming.

“Tlahuicole” by Manuel Vilar  1851 Neoclassical, nudity is powerful, shows skill. gentials coverd, reminiscent of the gaul killing wife. Chief of warrior people, fights to death against Aztecs. Dramatic position

Inspiration of Christopher Columbus” by José Maria 1856 Obregon Painting of Columbus. In support of Spanish conquest.  Thinker pose. Has map. Light hitting the map and his face. Heroic, the “genius of” Dominates canvas, horizion line is brought up.

“Discovery of Pulce” 1869 byy Obregon Painted during liberal presidency which shows precolombian motifs. History painting of only natives. Brings pulque to the king, he falls in love with girl, Xochitl. Eurpean throne. Relief composition, from left to right story line. Most indigenous people dark and in the shadow. Bare breasted. Main woman/king is white and in the light. Stereotypical precolombian symbols. Europeuan influnecned. Only dress

“Senate of Tlaxcala” by Rodrigo Gutierrez 1875 during a liberal presidency right before dictatorship. Indigenous figures are the subject, history painting of natives. Very Ancient Roman, white tunic resemblance, oratorical gestures. Patron of Aztec nobility.

Only dress and decoration is native. People in shadow is more authentic.

“Las Casas” by Felix Parra 1875 During a liberal presidency, criticized to be too Pro Spanish. Las casas criticized other converters and didn’t like the way the natives were being treated. Man is slain for visiting temple, wife cluthes las Casas legs, embraces Christianity? He looks up in prayer. Stands as a pillar beside the broken piller. Piece of the sky shows maybe this is hope, maybe it means temples are getting destroyed. Flowers wilting.

“Torture of Cuauhtemoc” by Leandro Izaguirre 1893 Made for world fair  in Chicago. Life size. Emblem of resistance to invasions, displayed in U.S. Staring each other down tied, naked, vulnerable vs standing, clothed, free, Corez looks European. Palace of Moctezuma stone seat resembles famous Aztec temple stone. Other man is scared but Cuauhtemoc remains fierce.

“Patio of Former Convent St Augustine” by Jose Maria Velasco 1860 Influenced by romanticism, return to nature. Confrontation between past tradition and modernity. Secularized. Aura of classical ruins, melancholy. Much variety in one color. Exclaustration reduction of religious communities in Mexico, church property confiscated.

“Stroll on the Outskirts of Mexico City” Velasco 1866. Different social classes depicted, some on horse, some well dressed, poor are wearing indigenous dress.

“Valley of Mexico” Velasco 1860-1870s

Mexican markers, bathed ina golden light. Nationalism

“Pyramid of the Sun” Velasco 1878 Pyramid dwarfed by natural world, natural world growing on monuments. Became documenter of monuments ad such.

“Bridge at Metlac” 1881 by Velasco Completion of the railway line (modernity) Dwarfed by the natural world. Blends in, shows the combing of natural vs manmade. Technology hasn’t taken over the natural world yet. Does careful details on foliage.

“Catherdral of Oaxaca” by Velasco 1887 Diagonals lead eye back. Catherdral is huge, dwarfs people, surrounding building. Leads to the sky. Honors the cathedral, looks up to it. Praises it. Not intimidating but beautiful.

“Girl from Puebla with a rose” Lack of academic training, body is not proportional. Very stiff. Looks 2D even though it is supposed to be 3D. Social status is obvious, jewelry, clothing, well fed, hands positioned to see jewelry. Rose, marriage portrait? Holds rose over her heart. Book is in the center shows she is literate.

“Chinaco and China” by Arrieta 19^th century She is Chinapoblana, a girl from China. Stereotypical woman plump, long skirt, low cut blouse, etc. “El Chinaco” early cowboys, rural lower class men. Her gaze is fierce, direct. He looks down at his bird maybe defeated wanting someone he can tie down but she won’t settle.

“Boy for the Coast” by Arrieta late 19^th cent. Holds Mexican fruits to sell? To present? Slavery abolished. Afromexican.

“Still Life with Fruit and Frog” by Bustos 1874 Typically Mexican fruits and veggies. Painted like a scientific study. Positioned and cut open for maximum viewing. Documentary,

 1874 Typically Mexican fruits and veggies. Painted like a scientific study. Positioned and cut open for maximum viewing. Documentary,

“Dead Poet” by Estrada 1846 Lacking in academic training. Boy looks peaceful. Died young, talented poet. In honor of. The floral crown is funerary or “apollo’s crown.”

“St. Isidore the Farmer” 19^th century Retablo painting, small devotional works painted on tin, size of license plate. Tin because of industrial revolution, it used to be wood. Isidore is the patron of peasants. Prayed to for good weather. He had so much to do he prayed for help and the angels came. Primary colors. Very colorful. Lack of academic training.

“Niño De Atocha” 19^th century Cult originated in Spain when Muslims had Spaniards as prisoners only children could come to visit. Child dress up like a traveler to bring food, “Christ child” patron saint of prisoners and travelers. Child sitting full frontal with hat, staff, cloak.

“St. Joseph and the Christ Child” 19^th century Most honored saint in colonial painting. Model father, kind of feminine. Perspective is off, not academically trained.  Lots of curves. Strong colors. Clouds, kind of surreal, and medieval.

“Collision between Streetcar and Hearse” by Posada (Profirato era) Coffin broken open with corpse inside. Scale is off. Corpse and coffin is the same size as the trolley. Clashing diagonals,a lot of lines, cross hatching cause for a dramatic and chaotic scene. A lot going on. Diaz main goal is progress, builds railroads. This Is a criticism, the trolley’s didn’t run well. The crashing, broken cross, exposed corpse shows modern world doesn’t respect tradition. Shows the clash of classes the trolley people wear bowler hats the people in the hearse wear sombreros.

“Satire of Religion” 1910 by Posada Criticizes socalled piety of upper middle class. Praying to St. Anthony for husbands. Looking to the sky like they will fall out of the sky. They are not pious, they are just wanting. Nothing is in the sky. There is a truly pious woman crying in a cloak, perhaps it is a religious cloak or a widowed cloak. Linked to a popular ballad.

“Satire of Religion” 1910 by Posada Criticizes socalled piety of upper middle class. Praying to St. Anthony for husbands. Looking to the sky like they will fall out of the sky. They are not pious, they are just wanting. Nothing is in the sky. There is a truly pious woman crying in a cloak, perhaps it is a religious cloak or a widowed cloak. Linked to a popular ballad.

“Today’s Execution” 1897 by Posada Diaz begins to lose execution. Print used multiple times for executions. More detailed to show factuality. Dramatic. Stoic observers.

“Calavera of the Bicycles” 1889 by Posada Satirical about progression, technology, modernity etc. Father time in the middle, time flies. Runs over tradition, past. Cap of liberty, revoltion, artistocratic one, top hat is capital. Little ones are trying to keep up in danger of getting run over, Square wheels primitive, disadvantaged.

“Calavera Huerista” by Posada 1911 Critique of Huerta. General that betrayed Madero. Holds skull and bones like the orb and septre of king. Dirty, low life lives among the maggots.

“calvera Catrina” by Posada 1910 criticism of vanity of aristocracy. She wears a ridiculous fancy hat. Woman is not beautiful but a skeleton. With a goofy smile. Perhaps beneath all the glamour is a skeleton like anyone else.

“The Spinner” by Laso 1849 begins representing Indigenous life after first trip to Europe.  Weaving, spinning linked to indigenous women

“The Indian Potter” by Laso 1855  holds ancent vessel, naked bound captive, shown at Paris, criticszed for being “too academic” stares at the viewer “confrontational”

“Three Races Equality Before the Law” 1859 playing cards, “game of chance” playing the game of life. Creole boy playing at the moment. Creole boy has no face.  Look suspiciously at him.