UAMA Visit #2 Looking Deeper into Rivera's: Zapata Print

Diego Rivera, Zapata, (1934)

• Emiliano Zapata, a champion of agrarian reform and a key protagonist in the Mexican Revolution.
• Dressed in white like the other agricultural workers (campesinos). This style was highly used by the peasants in Mexico during the revolution.
• Emiliano Zapata's supporters had no uniform compared to Villa's army. Zapata's men only wore what they had. They also had no weapons unlike Villa's army. 
• The campesinos used what they worked with on the farms as weapons: machetes and other tools. 
• The Mexican Revolution lasted from 1910-1919.

Observations made and questions:

• Did Rivera used religious references when creating the print?
• Ex: Fallen man (clearly upper class or an hacienda owner) is touching Zapata's foot similar to Christ getting his feet touched or washed as a symbol of respect, humility or submission. 
• Hats worn by Zapata's men could be representing halos similar to angels. 
• Can be emphasized as the angels of the revolution
• The fallen man was also wearing a uniform. Could it be one of Villa's army men? (Villa had support from the US so they had uniformity and weaponry unlike Zapata's army).

Was Rivera's print made due to high-demand art interest in the USA during 1932?