From the monumental public frescoes of Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros, to the canvasses and drawings of younger artists like Galvan, Cantu, Meza, Tamayo, and Orozco Romero, Mexican painting since the First World War has developed into a strong, influential artistic tradition.
This book explores this Mexican tradition -- the artists, their works, the social and political background, and the relationship of the modern painters to European and Mexican historical tradition. Helm, an important collector who knew most of the artists, writes informally yet with...