Mexico is a land where varied cultural and political heritages have inspired an art that has a unique and compelling history of its own. The influence of a frequently changing political and social system over the centuries forced Mexicans to search carefully for their national identity, and they have often looked to art for a sense of distinction. From its roots in the ancient forms and motifs of the Mesoamerican civilizations, through the architecturally inspired designs of the colonial period, the neoclassical and romantic influences of the nineteenth century, and the formal beginnings of modernism in the early twentieth century, Mexican art boasts an original and diverse style. This country with such diversity has found unity in an art that is recognizably Mexican and undeniably great. Volume One traces the foundations of Mexican art from its roots in such Indian masterworks as the colossal stone heads of the Olmecs, the stunning jewelry of the Mixtecs, and the famous ritual and sacred objects of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations, through the influence of the Conquest and Christianity on indigenous art forms. This is an indispensable guide to the understanding of Mexican art — both of the past and present. Volume Two surveys the rich history of Mexican painting, illuminating seminal works by such illustrious artists as colonial painter Baltasar de Echave Orio, 19th century painter Jose Maria Estrada, muralist Diego Rivera, and surrealist Frida Kahlo, among others.
