Images and the Duty of Memory: The Survival of a People Due to Their Spirit (1957) by Fanny Rabel

Abstract

Though often cited as a prominent example of Mexican muralism, Fanny Rabel’s mural, The Survival of a People Due to their Spirit (1957) has not been the object of the detailed study it merits. This study aims to reverse this unwarranted historiographical void through detailed analysis of the rich iconography of the painting. The mural’s message and style correspond on multiple levels to the humanistic philosophy and commitment to social justice of the Mexican School of Painting (Escuela Mexicana de Pintura), while its thematic originality reveals distinct expressive elements of muralism that are imbedded in the artist’s personal experience.