Final answer:
Mexican murals, including those by Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, symbolically represent the struggle for Mexican independence initiated by the Grito de Dolores. They depict the brutalities of the Spanish rule, the social complexities, and the human suffering associated with the revolutionary period. These artworks reflect the national desire for political and social transformation dating back to Father Hidalgo's 1810 uprising.
Step-by-step explanation:
Referring to the mural Grito de Dolores by Juan O'Gorman, there are certain interpretations about the Mexican Revolution against Spanish rule that can be made. Although O'Gorman did not specifically create a mural titled "Grito de Dolores," his contemporaries such as Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco depicted the struggles and outcomes of Mexico's fights for independence and the subsequent Revolution through their art. For instance, Orozco's murals showcased the human suffering and didn't glorify the war but instead highlighted its horrors and the complexities of social unrest. In this context, the "Grito de Dolores" or the "Cry of Dolores," which was the famous call to arms by Father Miguel Hidalgo, can be symbolically represented in these murals as the beginning of the struggle for Mexican independence and social reforms.
Diego Rivera's mural Exploitation of Mexico by Spanish Conquistadors depicts the brutality of the Spanish, reflecting Hidalgo’s motives to end such oppression. This period, marked by the Grito de Dolores, seeks not only political freedom but also significant social changes, such as land redistribution, abolition of slavery, and equal rights for the Indigenous and mestizos.
Murals created during this era often embodied the national consciousness, depicting the various figures and moments of the revolutionary period. Through the representation of revolutionary leaders and their interaction with peasant figures, as in Orozco's The Trench, murals reflect both the ideals and the bitter realities faced during the fight for Mexican independence and later reforms. The visual narrative conveyed in Mexican murals is a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of the revolution and the Grito de Dolores as a symbol of freedom and resistance against colonial rule.