Diego Rivera mural

Multi-colored mural of a indigenous village scene adorns a wall between two heavily carved stone doors. This mural was painted “al fresco” (on wet plaster) by the Mexican nationalist artist Diego Rivera in the early twentieth century. His murals depict many scenes from Mexican history. The one aspect they all have in common is that the artist celebrated the common man—the building blocks of Mexican national identity. These murals were painted in the National Palace in downtown Mexico City. Construction on the National Palace began soon after the conquest of Mexico, but the Palace was not completed until 1692. While the Palace is no longer the home of the President, it still is the seat of executive power for the entire country.