Mural

A mural is a piece of graphic artwork applied directly to a permanent substrate. This substrate is often a wall or a ceiling. The word itself comes from the Spanish adjective for something attached to a wall. It is also related to the Latin word muralis, which means wall painting.

Because of their massive scale, murals often require a sponsor. These sponsors might be local governments, businesses, or private patrons. For the artist, murals offer a way to reach a wide audience. People see these works in their daily lives without ever entering an art gallery.

Artists use several distinct techniques to create these works. The most famous method is buon fresco, which comes from the Italian word for "fresh." In this process, an artist mixes pigments with water. They apply this mixture to a thin layer of wet, fresh lime mortar or plaster. As the plaster dries, a chemical reaction occurs. This reaction fixes the pigment particles inside the plaster itself. This allows the colors to remain brilliant for many centuries.

Other methods offer different levels of difficulty and permanence. Fresco-secco is a technique where the artist paints on dry plaster. Because the surface is not wet, the pigments need a binding medium to stick. Artists might use egg, known as tempera, or they might use glue or oil. There is also a middle method called mezzo-fresco. This is performed on nearly-dry plaster that is firm enough not to take a thumbprint.

By the end of the sixteenth century, artists like Michelangelo used this method. It offered some of the advantages found in secco work.

History shows that humans have used walls to tell stories for millennia. Some of the earliest examples are cave paintings found in Borneo and France. These date back between 32,000 and 52,000 years. Ancient Egyptians created murals in tombs around 3150 BC.

In Mesoamerica, the San Bartolo murals of the Maya civilization date to 300 BC. Other ancient examples exist in Minoan palaces and the ruins of Pompeii. In India, the Kerala mural painting tradition has existed since the 14th century. These specific Indian murals are often found on the walls of Hindu temples.

In the 20th century, murals became powerful tools for social and political expression. In 1906, Dr. Atl issued a manifesto in Mexico. He called for a monumental public art movement named pintura mural. This led to the famous Mexican muralism movement. Artists like Diego Rivera, José Orozco, and David Siqueiros used murals to address social issues. Rivera even completed a series of twenty-seven fresco panels in Detroit between 1932 and 1940.

These works proved that art could act as a tool for social emancipation.

Modern technology has introduced new ways to create large-scale imagery. Some artists use oil or water-based media with brushes or airbrushes. Others use digital methods to create murals more quickly. One technique called Frescography uses computer-aided manufacturing to print images onto canvas.

This allows for personalization and specific sizing. There are also "wallscapes," which are large advertisements. These can be painted directly on a building or printed on vinyl and attached like a billboard.

Murals serve many purposes in modern society. They can be used as propaganda by totalitarian regimes to spread specific messages. However, they also serve to improve the aesthetic beauty of cities. In some rural towns, murals are used to create tourist attractions. This helps to boost the local economy. In divided communities, murals have even functioned as a way to start a dialogue and solve conflicts. Whether through ancient fresco or modern digital printing, murals remain a vital way to communicate with the public.