The contemporary Mexican artistic movement known as muralism, a moveme

The contemporary Mexican artistic movement
known as muralism, a movement of public art that
began with images painted on walls in an effort to
represent Mexican national culture, is closely linked
(5) ideologically with its main sponsor, the new Mexican
government elected in 1920 following the Mexican
Revolution. This government promoted an ambitious
cultural program, and the young revolutionary state
called on artists to display Mexico’s richness and
(10) possibility. But the theoretical foundation of the
movement was formulated by the artists themselves.
The major figures in the muralist movement, David
Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, and José Clemente
Orozco, all based their work on a common premise:
(15) that art should incorporate images and familiar ideas
as it commented upon the historic period in which it was
created. In the process, they assimilated into their work
the customs, myths, geography, and history of the local
communities that constitute the basis of Mexican
(20) national culture.

But while many muralist works express populist or
nationalist ideas, it is a mistake to attempt to reduce
Mexican mural painting to formulaic, official
government art. It is more than merely the result of the
(25) changes in political and social awareness that the
Mexican Revolution represented; it also reflected
important innovations in the art world. In creating a
wide panorama of Mexico’s history on the walls of
public buildings throughout the country, muralists
(30) often used a realist style. But awareness of these
innovations enabled them to be freer in expression than
were more traditional practitioners of this style.

Moreover, while they shared a common interest in
rediscovering their Mexican national identity, they
(35) developed their own distinct styles. Rivera, for
example, incorporated elements from pre-Columbian
sculpture and the Italian Renaissance fresco into his
murals and used a strange combination of mechanical
shapes to depict the faces and bodies of people.
(40) Orozco, on the other hand, showed a more
expressionist approach, with loose brushwork and an
openly emotional treatment of form. He relied on a
strong diagonal line to give a sense of heightened
movement and drama to his work. Siqueiros developed
(45) in a somewhat similar direction as Orozco, but
incorporated asymmetric compositions, a high degree
of action, and brilliant color.

This stylistic experimentation can be seen as
resulting from the demands of a new medium. In
(50) stretching their concepts from small easel paintings
with a centralized subject to vast compositions with
mural dimensions, muralists learned to think big and to
respect the sweeping gesture of the arm—the brush
stroke required to achieve the desired bold effect of
(55) mural art. Furthermore, because they were painting
murals, they thought in terms of a continuum; their
works were designed to be viewable from many
different vantage points, to have an equally strong
impact in all parts, and to continue to be viewable as
(60) people moved across in front of them.

1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

(A) Muralism developed its political goals in Mexico in service to the revolutionary government, while its aesthetic aspects were borrowed from other countries.
(B) Inspired by political developments in Mexico and trends in modern art, muralist painters devised an innovative style of large-scale painting to reflect Mexican culture.
(C) The stylistic features of muralism represent a consistent working out of the implications of its revolutionary ideology.
(D) Though the Mexican government supported muralism as a means of promoting nationalist ideology, muralists such as Siqueiros, Rivera, and Orozco developed the movement in contradictory, more controversial directions.
(E) Because of its large scale and stylistic innovations, the type of contemporary Mexican art known as muralism is capable of expressing a much wider and more complex view of Mexico’s culture and history than previous artistic movements could express.

2. The author mentions Rivera’s use of “pre-Columbian sculpture and the Italian Renaissance fresco” (lines 36–37) primarily in order to provide an example of Rivera’s

(A) assimilation of elements of Mexican customs and myth
(B) movement beyond single, centralized subjects
(C) experimentation with expressionist techniques
(D) distinctive manner of artistic expression
(E) underlying resistance to change

3. Which one of the following aspects of muralist painting does the author appear to value most highly?

(A) its revolutionary ideology
(B) its use of brilliant color
(C) its tailoring of style to its medium
(D) its use of elements from everyday life
(E) its expression of populist ideas

4. Based on the passage, with which one of the following statements about art would the muralists be most likely to agree?

(A) Art should be evaluated on the basis of its style and form rather than on its content.
(B) Government sponsorship is essential to the flourishing of art.
(C) Realism is unsuited to large-scale public art.
(D) The use of techniques borrowed from other cultures can contribute to the rediscovery of one’s national identity.
(E) Traditional easel painting is an elitist art form.

5. According to the passage, the Mexican government elected in 1920 took which one of the following approaches to art following the Mexican Revolution?

(A) It encouraged the adoption of modern innovations from abroad.
(B) It encouraged artists to pursue the realist tradition in art.
(C) It called on artists to portray Mexico’s heritage and future promise.
(D) It developed the theoretical base of the muralist movement.
(E) It favored artists who introduced stylistic innovations over those who worked in the realist tradition.

6. Which one of the following, if true, most supports the author’s claim about the relationship between muralism and the Mexican Revolution (lines 24–27)?

(A) The major figures in muralism also created important works in that style that were deliberately not political in content.
(B) Not all muralist painters were familiar with the innovations being made at that time in the art world.
(C) The changes taking place at that time in the art world were revivals of earlier movements.
(D) Officials in the Mexican government were not familiar with the innovations being made at that time in the art world.
(E) Only those muralist works that reflected nationalist sentiments were permitted to be viewed by the public.

7. Which one of the following does the author explicitly identify as a characteristic of Mexican mural art?

(A) Its subject matter consisted primarily of current events.
(B) It could be viewed outdoors only.
(C) It used the same techniques as are used in easel painting.
(D) It exhibited remarkable stylistic uniformity.
(E) It was intended to be viewed from more than one angle.

8. The primary purpose of the second paragraph is to

(A) describe the unifying features of muralism
(B) provide support for the argument that the muralists often did not support government causes
(C) support the claim that muralists always used their work to comment on their own historical period
(D) illustrate how the muralists appropriated elements of Mexican tradition
(E) argue that muralism cannot be understood by focusing solely on its political dimension