Oiseaux de Proie
1 of 2
Object Label
Diego Rivera, like many other artists working after the Mexican Revolution (1910–20), engaged with the nationalist political ideology known as indigenismo, which emphasized Mexico’s Indigenous roots in an attempt to unify the state and foster a cohesive and hybrid national identity.
Copalli takes its name from the Nahuatl (an Indigenous language) and Spanish words for copal, the aromatic tree resin employed for centuries in Mesoamerica as incense. Considered the “blood” of trees, copal was also used as a binder for pigments in ancient mural painting. Beginning in the 1920s, the Mexican government embraced muralism as a tool to widely convey social and political themes. By highlighting muralism’s Indigenous origins through the image of two copal trees, Rivera connected this art form to a specifically “Mexican” artistic tradition.
Caption
Victor-Emile Prouvé French, 1858–1943. Oiseaux de Proie, 1893. Etching on Arches paper, 9 5/16 x 16 9/16 in. (23.7 x 42.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Stewart Smith Memorial Fund, 38.360. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 38.360_bw.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Oiseaux de Proie
Date
1893
Medium
Etching on Arches paper
Classification
Dimensions
9 5/16 x 16 9/16 in. (23.7 x 42.1 cm)
Signatures
Signed, "V. Prouve" lower right
Inscriptions
No. 57 in pencil, lower right Embossed stamp, lower right, "L'estampe originale"
Markings
Watermarks: "Arches"
Credit Line
Charles Stewart Smith Memorial Fund
Accession Number
38.360
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
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