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The post-colonial era of little art imagination ended abruptly following the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). The revolution had a major impact on Mexican art which began to change drastically as there was a major shift away from European techniques and subject matter towards national political themes. The government began commissioning public works in an effort to reinforce its politics and redefine the history and identity of Mexico and its people. This push led to the emergence of the famous Muralist, or Modernist, Movement in which artists like Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco painted huge frescoes on the walls of public buildings and received widespread attention and acclaim. The style of these murals was very different from that of European frescoes. The bright colors and depictions of the greater Mexican population appealed to the masses rather than the elites or the church. The aim of this art was to glorify the revolution and Mexico's pre-colonial history, and emphasize and celebrate the indigenous features of Mexico both physically and culturally. Another important artist from this time was Frida Kahlo, the wife of Rivera. Kahlo's paintings were not mural size and the themes of her work were much more personal but she has become one of the most important figures in Mexican art and history in addition to the muralists. The muralists and their works were exceedingly popular and garnered widespread national and international attention. A notable contemporary of the muralists who also gained international attention for his murals and paintings was Rufino Tamayo although his art was less political. Tamayo's work frequently appears today at auctions of Latin American art.
While the Mexican art scene remained and still remains active, most of the art that has followed in the time since the muralists, from the 1950's and 1960's to today, has not been met with comparable visibility or reception. Great artists in the years following, such as painter Jose Luis Cuevas and sculptor Juan Soriano, while well-known, did not attain the prominence the muralists and have been historically overshadowed by them. This overshadowing of contemporary Mexican art continues as Mexican art is consistently underrepresented in the international market. Muralists like Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros are among the only instantly recognizable examples of Mexican artists and art in the world.
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