José Clemente Orozco
Author: José Clemente Orozco
Title: The Coming of Quetzalcoatl in “The Epic of American Civilization”
Date: 1932–1934
Location: Baker Memorial Library, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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José Clemente Orozco’s The Epic of American Civilization (1932–1934) stands as one of the most ambitious and complex interpretations of history within the Mexican muralist movement. This vast fresco cycle, located in Dartmouth College’s Baker Library, interrogates the collision of Indigenous and European civilizations, the violence of industrialization, and the ideological struggles shaping the Americas. Central to this narrative is Orozco’s depiction of Quetzalcóatl, the Mesoamerican deity whose myth has long been subject to reinterpretation, euhemerization, and esoteric appropriation.
Orozco’s Quetzalcóatl aligns with broader currents of thought that emerged in post-revolutionary Mexico, where intellectuals and artists euhemerized the figure as foundational to national identity, often within esoteric milieus. This was particularly evident in the work of Diego Rivera, who—through his affiliation with the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC)—conceived of Quetzalcóatl as a Rosicrucian initiate, integrating the deity into a mystical lineage of spiritual enlightenment. Similarly, José Vasconcelos, the philosopher and Minister of Education, envisioned Quetzalcóatl as a redemptive figure, a bearer of wisdom and moral guidance akin to Christ or Buddha.
Orozco’s Quetzalcóatl embodies this redemptive quality, raising his hands as if delivering a revelation or judgment, surrounded by cosmic and mythological elements that suggest an impending transformation. Unlike Rivera, whose murals often sought to integrate the past into a coherent revolutionary narrative, Orozco’s Epic of American Civilization resists linear progress, emphasizing cycles of creation and destruction, enlightenment and decline. By placing Quetzalcóatl within this framework, Orozco challenges the romanticized evemerization of the deity, instead positioning him as a spectral presence—one that haunts the modern world as both a lost wisdom and an unfulfilled promise.
In the context of Mexican post-revolutionary art, Orozco’s vision complicates the nationalist project of reclaiming Indigenous heritage as the ideological foundation of the modern state. Instead of presenting a triumphant narrative of mestizaje, The Epic of American Civilization reveals the fractures within this construction, exposing the contradictions and violence inherent in the processes of colonization, modernization, and cultural mythmaking. Through Quetzalcóatl, Orozco ultimately offers a more skeptical, existential meditation on the fate of civilizations.
Author: José Clemente Orozco
Title: Prometheus
Date: 1930
Location: Frary Dining Hall, Pomona College, Claremont, United States
Dimensions: 240 x 342 inches
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José Clemente Orozco’s Prometheus (1930) stands as a defining moment in the expansion of Mexican muralism into the United States. As the first mural in the country by one of the three most renowned muralists—Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros—this fresco initiated a transnational dialogue, merging the radical visual language of Mexican post-revolutionary art with broader intellectual currents that sought to reimagine history, mythology, and spirituality. The mural presents a monumental Prometheus, the Titan who defies the gods to bring fire and enlightenment to humanity. This act of rebellion and knowledge-giving resonates deeply with Orozco’s larger body of work, which consistently explored themes of human struggle, transformation, and liberation.
However, Prometheus does not exist solely within the framework of revolutionary muralism; it is also tied to spiritual and nationalist movements that, in the early twentieth century, looked to ancient Greece as a source of spiritual and cultural renewal. The Delphic Society, an organization founded in New York in 1930, played a key role in this revival. Led by the writer and choreographer Eva Palmer Sikelianos, this movement sought to restore the traditions of archaic Greece, organizing Delphic Festivals in 1927 and 1930 that featured performances of Prometheus Bound at the ancient sanctuary of Delphi. The Society was composed of an eclectic mix of Theosophists, Indian, Greek, and Mexican nationalists and artists, all of whom saw in the classical past a means of forging new national and spiritual identities in the modern world. Orozco was aware of these efforts, and Prometheus aligns with this spiritual revival while also reflecting the ideological concerns of post-revolutionary Mexico.
Author: José Clemente Orozco
Title: Table of Universal Brotherhood
Date: 1930–1931
Location: New School for Social Research, New York, United States
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José Clemente Orozco received an invitation from Alvin Johnson, the founding president of the New School for Social Research in New York, to paint a series of murals for the university’s newly constructed building at 66 West 12th Street. With only one assistant, he completed five monumental frescoes in just 47 days: Science, Labor, and Art (hallway); Homecoming of the Worker of the New Day; Struggle in the Orient; Struggle in the Occident; and Table of Universal Brotherhood.
These murals represent a unique fusion of Mexican revolutionary aesthetics, modern esoteric currents, and Eastern philosophies. Orozco’s engagement with Theosophical ideas in the Delphic Society shaped his vision, leading him to explore themes of universal brotherhood and the spiritual dimensions of political struggle and revolution.
Orozco’s Table of Universal Brotherhood is a clear example of the Theosophical influences in his work after engaging with the Delphic Society in New York. The composition presents a diverse group of figures gathered around a stark, undecorated table, symbolizing an idealized vision of global fraternity. The figures include Lenin and Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Governor of Yucatan, also deeply influenced by the Theosophical currentl. The open book at the center serves as the silent foundation of their gathering, suggesting that knowledge, rather than political force, is the key to achieving unity. This mural aligns closely with the Theosophical ideal of creating a universal brotherhood beyond distinctions of sex, race, and religion. The solemn, contemplative expressions of the figures reinforce the notion that fraternity is an intellectual and moral pursuit rather than a passive state.
Upon its unveiling, Table of Universal Brotherhood—like the rest of the murals—was met with intense debate. The inclusion of figures associated with socialism and Marxism, including a veiled reference to Lenin, sparked public controversy. At the height of McCarthyism in the 1950s, part of the mural was covered with a curtain, only to be revealed again after protests from faculty and students.
“Here in one of Mexico City’s most iconic buildings, The House of Tiles, Orozco had already begun to transcend the boundaries of traditional muralism, offering a vision that was not just national, but spiritual”.
Author: José Clemente Orozco
Title: Struggle in the Orient
Date: 1930–1931
Location: New School for Social Research, New York, United States
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Struggle in the Orient also reflects the influence of the Delphic Society, often referred to as the “Ashram” in honor of Mahatma Gandhi. The mural is divided into distinct sections, each depicting different aspects of colonialism and struggle. On the left, a group of bound figures huddle together, their bodies twisted in suffering. Behind them, indifferent elites—representing imperial power—observe the scene with detachment, symbolizing the structural nature of oppression. In the center, chaos erupts as revolutionaries rise up, wielding weapons in defiance, while flames engulf the background, intensifying the sense of upheaval.
On the right side, the presence of Mahatma Gandhi, seated in quiet contemplation, contrasts sharply with the violent insurrection. His inclusion reflects the dual nature of struggle: one path driven by armed resistance, the other by spiritual and philosophical endurance. Next to Gandhi, a veiled woman stares at the viewer, embodying the silent suffering and resilience of the oppressed.
Orozco’s depiction of Gandhi aligns with ideals of nonviolence and universal fraternity. The mural, like Table of Universal Brotherhood, suggests that liberation is not solely a political or militant process but also a spiritual transformation. The juxtaposition of violence and peaceful resistance invites reflection on the complexity of revolutionary struggle and the different paths toward justice.
This mural also exhibits Orozco’s mastery of dynamic symmetry. The composition’s balance between diagonal, intersecting lines and static elements creates a rhythmic movement that guides the viewer’s eye across the panel, emphasizing both the explosive nature of conflict and the underlying structural harmony. The contrast between the rigid, oppressive structures of colonial rule and the fluid, gestural dynamism of resistance reinforces the visual tension that defines Orozco’s work.
Author: José Clemente Orozco
Title: Omniscience (Omnisciencia)
Date: 1925
Location: House of the Tiles (Casa de los Azulejos), Mexico City, Mexico
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José Clemente Orozco’s Omniscience (Omnisciencia, 1925), located in the House of the Tiles (Casa de los Azulejos) in Mexico City, stands as a unique departure from the nationalist themes that dominated Mexican muralism in the post-revolutionary period. Instead of focusing on historical narratives or revolutionary iconography, Orozco presents a deeply spiritual and philosophical vision, emphasizing human struggle, enlightenment, and the pursuit of higher knowledge.
The House of the Tiles, originally an aristocratic mansion from the colonial period, later became the headquarters of the exclusive Jockey Club during the Porfirio Díaz regime. As a symbol of elite privilege, the building represented the social inequalities that the Mexican Revolution sought to dismantle. In 1915, after the triumph of Venustiano Carranza over Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, the palace was seized and repurposed for the workers of the Red Battalions that had fought alongside Carranza’s constitutionalist forces. Painter Gerardo Murillo “Dr. Atl” and German Occultist Arnold Krumm-Heller played a key role in this agreement. The transformation of space, from an enclave of Porfirian aristocracy to a site reclaimed by revolutionary forces, adds another layer of meaning to Orozco’s mural, which critiques the structures of power and envisions a new, transcendent order.
Unlike the patriotic grandeur of Diego Rivera or the overtly political themes of David Alfaro Siqueiros, Omnisciencia moves into the realm of the metaphysical. The composition features a group of muscular, semi-nude figures engaged in dynamic, almost ritualistic gestures. A central figure, radiating light, appears to be in a state of exaltation, bathed in beams that suggest divine revelation or cosmic enlightenment. The figures flanking the composition evoke archetypal representations of knowledge, wisdom, and human striving, hinting at an esoteric reading of history rather than a materialist or nationalistic one.
The very placement of Omnisciencia in the House of the Tiles serves as a powerful statement. The building itself had undergone radical shifts—from an aristocratic club to a revolutionary stronghold, and currently to a commercial space open to all. Orozco’s mural reflects this theme of transformation, suggesting that true progress is not only social or political but also intellectual and spiritual. His rejection of purely nationalist themes in favor of allegory and esoteric symbolism highlights his broader artistic vision, one that saw Mexico’s post-revolutionary identity as part of a much larger, universal human struggle.
In this sense, Omnisciencia serves as a precursor to Orozco’s later works in New York, where he would fully integrate his Theosophical influences and global revolutionary themes. Here, however, in one of Mexico City’s most iconic buildings, Orozco had already begun to transcend the boundaries of traditional muralism, offering a vision that was not just national, but spiritual.
Author: José Clemente Orozco
Title: Omniscience (Omnisciencia)
Date: 1925
Location: House of the Tiles (Casa de los Azulejos), Mexico City, Mexico
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José Clemente Orozco’s Omniscience (Omnisciencia, 1925), located in the House of the Tiles (Casa de los Azulejos) in Mexico City, stands as a unique departure from the nationalist themes that dominated Mexican muralism in the post-revolutionary period. Instead of focusing on historical narratives or revolutionary iconography, Orozco presents a deeply spiritual and philosophical vision, emphasizing human struggle, enlightenment, and the pursuit of higher knowledge.
The House of the Tiles, originally an aristocratic mansion from the colonial period, later became the headquarters of the exclusive Jockey Club during the Porfirio Díaz regime. As a symbol of elite privilege, the building represented the social inequalities that the Mexican Revolution sought to dismantle. In 1915, after the triumph of Venustiano Carranza over Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, the palace was seized and repurposed for the workers of the Red Battalions that had fought alongside Carranza’s constitutionalist forces. Painter Gerardo Murillo “Dr. Atl” and German Occultist Arnold Krumm-Heller played a key role in this agreement. The transformation of space, from an enclave of Porfirian aristocracy to a site reclaimed by revolutionary forces, adds another layer of meaning to Orozco’s mural, which critiques the structures of power and envisions a new, transcendent order.
Unlike the patriotic grandeur of Diego Rivera or the overtly political themes of David Alfaro Siqueiros, Omnisciencia moves into the realm of the metaphysical. The composition features a group of muscular, semi-nude figures engaged in dynamic, almost ritualistic gestures. A central figure, radiating light, appears to be in a state of exaltation, bathed in beams that suggest divine revelation or cosmic enlightenment. The figures flanking the composition evoke archetypal representations of knowledge, wisdom, and human striving, hinting at an esoteric reading of history rather than a materialist or nationalistic one.
The very placement of Omnisciencia in the House of the Tiles serves as a powerful statement. The building itself had undergone radical shifts—from an aristocratic club to a revolutionary stronghold, and currently to a commercial space open to all. Orozco’s mural reflects this theme of transformation, suggesting that true progress is not only social or political but also intellectual and spiritual. His rejection of purely nationalist themes in favor of allegory and esoteric symbolism highlights his broader artistic vision, one that saw Mexico’s post-revolutionary identity as part of a much larger, universal human struggle.
In this sense, Omnisciencia serves as a precursor to Orozco’s later works in New York, where he would fully integrate his Theosophical influences and global revolutionary themes. Here, however, in one of Mexico City’s most iconic buildings, Orozco had already begun to transcend the boundaries of traditional muralism, offering a vision that was not just national, but spiritual.