The inner walls of the Palacio de Bellas Artes are adorned with works by the grandfathers of Mexico’s muralist movement: Rufino Tamayo, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Among the murals is Rivera’s ‘Man, Controller of Universe’, which he originally created for the Rockefeller Center in New York. The mural depicts the captains of industry prospering at the expense of the populace, while Vladimir Lenin stands off to one side at forefront of the red rebellion. The presence of Lenin and Rivera’s refusal to remove him caused such controversy that Rivera was dismissed and the mural was destroyed. Rivera had already been paid however, and he vowed to recreate the mural for anyone who asked him until the commission funds ran out. The recreated work in Mexico City is a joy to behold, not least for the sheer scale and color of it.
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