La decoración mural en Venezuela: apuntes para una historia

Abstract

The author has deliberately shied away from the term “mural painting” or “muralism” in order to discuss Venezuelan art which, since the arrival of the Spaniards, has been expressed on walls, roofs and vaults, on surfaces ranging from whitewashed temple walls to mosaics, reliefs or stained-glass windows. This practice also includes covering walls with wallpaper, hangings, pictures or paper, despite only containing geometric or floral motifs. Roldán Esteva-Grillet has preferred to utilize the term “mural decoration” for a simple reason: the phenomenon of large-scale painting designed to cover architectural spaces, or mural painting, has a social nature and historical connotation that differ considerably from those characterizing Mexico since pre-Hispanic times. This article offers a general overview of this type of painting, together with an analysis of the content and influence of Mexican art on Venezuela during the XX century.