In the Footsteps of Diego Rivera: The National Palace: Diego's Best

A trip to Mexico City wouldn't have been complete without a stop at the Palacio National to see perhaps Rivera's best murals. I say best, and not necessarily my favorite, because of the complicated nature and size of this project. This set of murals was begun in 1929. The staircase mural is a real masterpiece showing Mexico Through the Centuries.

Inside Courtyard at the Palacio National

Staircase panel showing Mexico's history from the time of Cortes through the Mexican Revolution

Detail from the Staircase Mural

The size, the angles, and the crowds make the staircase particularly difficult to photograph. Nonetheless, the amount of detail in the mural shows why it took Rivera six years to complete it. Rivera returned to the National Palace to complete the project between 1945 and 1951. In the set of murals at the top of the staircase on the first floor, he has a detailed presentation of the pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico. The vision of ancient Tenochtitlan (modern day downtown Mexico City), gives the viewer a sense of how expansive and advanced this civilization was.