Secretary of Eduactaion in Mexico City showcases some spectacular murals!

 Originally constructed as the Convent of Our Lady of the Incarnation in 1639, it was later adapted to house the SEP, the Secretary of Public Education.

 

The building is renowned for its extensive historic mural cycles, mostly painted by Diego Rivera between 1923 and 1928 as well as works by other artist like Roberto Montenegro.

Emiliano Zapato - Diego Rivera

1928

The fresco depicts the Mexican revolutionary leader, Zapato surrounded by an orange, halo-like mandorla, flanked by two mourning figures.

The Orgy - Diego Rivera

1928

Part of Rivera's extensive mural cycle contrasting the extravagant lifestyle of the wealthy upper class with the struggles and labor of the working class.

Massive corridors showcasing the numerous murals along with the historic paneled double wooden doors with the transom windows above, set into stone archways.

Fraternity - Diego Rivera - 1928

The mural depicts the unity and solidarity between the urban industrial worker in the blue overalls and the rural campesino/farmer shaking hands.   Framed by a central cosmic, sun-like figure and surrounded by community members. 

This room is the historic office of Jose Vasconcelos, the first secretary of Public Education in Mexico.  The mural is titled La Poesia (poetry), painted around 1922 by artist Roberto Montenegro.  It reflects a fusion of philosophy and spiritual themes.  The space is furnished with a massive, polished hardwood boardroom table surrounded by high back chairs beneath an elegant crystal chandelier.

The frieze along the top of the wood paneling features a dark painted border honoring great figures of the world of culture, such at Beethoven.

Opposite the boardroom table, the room features handsome built-in wood cabinetry, another conference table and an ornate desk.  Note the intricate parquet flooring.  The mural features astrological and Asian motifs.

The space and grounds are meticulously maintained!

Day of the Dead - Diego Rivera

Encuentro de dos Culturas

Raul Anguiano - 1993

Anguiano was prominent figure of Mexican modern art and muralism.  

The mural portrays the complex encounter between the indigenous Mesoamerican cultures and the Spanish colonization, symbolizing the birth of the Mestizo identity, spiritual conversion and the blending of the two worlds. 

The Image of Man, a high-temperatured glazed ceramic mural by Luis Nishizawa,  1991.  He created this work to commemorate the upcoming 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Europeans in the Americas (observed in 1992).  It blends a mix of modern day science with pre-Hispanic mythology and indigenous cosmic views.  The central blue face was inspired by the Maya mask of Pakal within a atomic orbital structure. 

The interior of the Biblioteca Iberoamericana Octavio Paz.

The vaulted mosaic-style mural, The Union of Latin American People was painted by Roberto Montenegro, 1924.   It features a map of Latin America with a central allegorical figure and radiant sun motifs.

Patricios y Patricidas

David Alfaro Siqueiros

He was one of the foremost leaders of the Mexican Muralist Movement alongside Diego Rivera and Jose Clements Orozco.  The mural dramatizes the historic conflicts between the national patriots and those who compromised the nation's sovereignty.  His works are known for his dynamic perspective and vivid red and gold tones.

There are over 230 plus murals by Rivera!  It is a magnificent venue and such a pleasant space to spend an hour or two.  And it is only a few blocks from the zocalo.  

SEP

República de Argentina 28 

Centro Histórico - Mexico City

MUNCH Museum in Oslo is another spectacular site in Oslo

MUNCH Museum was designed by Estudio Herreros and opened in 2021.  The 13-story building is known for its asymmetrical design and is clad in perforated recycled aluminum panels to reflect the shifting natural light of Oslo.  It houses the world's largest collections dedicated to a single artist, Expressionist Edvard Munch (1863 - 1944).

Bathing Young Men, 1904, features expressive nude figures interacting by the water in a style characterized by swirling brushstrokes and bold outlines.  The color palette is dominated by blues, greens, and yellows.

Melancholy III, a powerful 1902 woodcut.  It depicts a brooding, solitary figure with his head resting on his hand in the foreground, set against a dark shoreline and a swirling, abstracted landscape.  Munch was a pioneer of the woodcut medium, often sawing the woodblock into separate pieces, inking them individually, and reassembling them like a puzzle to create varied color prints.

 

The Sick Child  (Norwegian: Det syke barn).  The motif depicts Munch's older sister, Johanne Sophie, who tragically died of tuberculosis at age 15. She is shown pale and propped up in bed, while her grieving aunt Karen bows her head in sorrow.  He considered this theme a breakthrough in his career and returned to it obsessively over a 40-year period. 

The Girls on the Bridge, 1927.  Three figures in vibrant dresses and hats lean over a wooden pier railing in Åsgårdstrand, a coastal town along the Oslofjord in Norway that served as a profound inspiration for Munch's summer landscapes.  Characterized by bold brushstrokes and heavy outlines, the piece captures a melancholic mood, contrasting the soft curves of the shoreline and giant linden tree against the rigid geometry of the pier. 

Summer Night ~ Mermaid, 1893, reflects Munch's signature Symbolist style, capturing a mystical coastal scene illuminated by a pillar of moonlight—a recurring motif in his work.

Workers in the Snow, 1913, depicts a group of laborers in a wedge formation, holding shovels and resting after their exertion in a snowy landscape.

It was years ago when I saw a women standing in a gallery with her back to the viewer looking at a row of portraits that was part of a Viking River Cruise Line commercial that sparked my interest.  Especially when I found out they were painted by Edvard Munch! 

Munch Portraits, 1909.  From left to right:  Torvald Stang, a lawyer and barrister who was a close friend of Munch. He is shown full-length wearing a dark suit and hat while holding a pipe.  Munch's close friend, the Norwegian writer and art critic Jappe Nilssen.  Professor Daniel Jacobson life-sized, full-length portrait showing the doctor against a vibrant, impressionistic yellow and red background.  Self-Portrait with Brushes - 1904.

Dagny Juel Przybyszewska (1893), Dagny Juel, was a prominent Norwegian writer, pianist, and a central muse for various avant-garde artists and writers in Berlin during the 1890s.  The portrait reflects Munch's early expressionist style with its dark and ghostly palette.

The Wedding of the Bohemian, 1925, depicts a crowded dinner scene illustrating themes of love and profound social isolation. Notably, the figure sitting on the far left, looking away from the rest of the gathering, is widely interpreted to be Munch himself.  Real-life friends and bohemians from Munch's circle inspired this scene.

Self-Portrait with Bottles was painted between roughly 1938 and 1942, during the final years of his life.   In this haunting, late-career "self-scrutiny," Munch depicts his aging self surrounded by bottles, confronting themes of isolation, introspection, and his lifelong struggles with alcoholism.

Elm Forest in Spring (1923) portrays a sunlit, dynamic woodland scene featuring gnarled elm trees and an emerging forest floor entering spring.

Karen Bjolstad, an 1888 oil-on-canvas portrait depicting his maternal aunt who raised him after his mother's death. 

 

We took a a 2 1/2 hour fjord tour one beautiful morning.  The glass structure is titled She Lies, a permanent public sculpture designed by artist Monica Bonvicini. Constructed from stainless steel and transparent glass panels, this 12-meter-tall artwork floats on a concrete platform.  It is built to slowly turn on its axis in response to the wind and tide, offering changing reflections and perspectives.  The museum is in the background.

The museum is also famous for its distinctively leaning top section (the "kink") that tilts 15 degrees toward the fjord.

The upper level of the museum showcases panoramic views over the Oslofjord and the city harbor.  

The building on the right with the distinctive repeating, box-like staggered window pattern is the Diagonale designed by Atelier Oslo and Lundhagem, housing a mix of offices, apartments and retail space.   Left of it is the striking glass-paneled building with the large top cantilevered design, the Deichman Bjorvika, Oslo's six-story central library.  The building in the front with the sloping roof is the iconic Oslo Opera House. 

The Oslo Opera House opened in 2008.  Resembling a glacier floating on the shores of the Oslofjord, the sloping roof features around 36,000 blocks of white Italian Carrera marble where visitors can climb and enjoy the view.  

The re-development of the area with the museum, opera house, library, other contemporary buildings and new restaurants really has bought the waterfront back to life.  Similar to what the Guggenheim Museum did for Bilbao in Spain. 

It is interesting on how the "Circle of Life" repeats itself through out the art world.  I witnessed this in Oslo, from the murals at City Hall, to the sculptures at the Vigelandsparken by Vigeland, to many of the painting by Munch at the museum.  And certainly a common theme in Mexican Folk Art that I have collected over the last 40 some years.

Edvard Munch and Gustav Vigeland lived at the same time, but were rivals rather than friends. As young artists, they both lived in Berlin. Even though they respected each other as artists, they were never close. Munch even accused Vigeland of stealing his main idea: While Vigeland devoted his sculpture park to the circle of life, Munch’s main project was the frieze of life, a series of paintings exploring love, anxiety, death and the human condition through a deeply and expressionist view.

Olso is a fascinating city with spectacular sites to see.  I look forward to returning and exploring more of what it has to offer. 

 

 

 

Rådhus , City Hall, is one of the most impressive sites in Oslo!!!

Rådhus, City Hall, is one of the most impressive sites in Oslo!!! The twin-towered building was completed in 1950 to commemorate Oslo’s 900th anniversary is filled with mid-century artistic tributes to Norwegian culture and working life.

It took thirty years for the plan to be realized, with a brief pause in construction on the outbreak of World War II, was designed in the Functionalism architectural style. 

On each side of the courtyard is an arcade with 16 exceptional wooden friezes by painter & sculptor, Dagdin Werensskiod (1892 - 1977).  They show the motifs from Norse mythology: the life of gods and the stories of wisdom and love, war and hate, and magnificent visions of the future. 

Each frieze is made of pine deck timber which is glued together into blocks weighing approximately 2,200 lbs. The friezes are saturated with a triple coat of linseed oil, then painted and gilded with gold or silver.  

                                                      

 The Swan Maidens

Three valkyries (those who choose the warriors destined to die in battle), half spiritual, half earthly, come flying as swans and change into three beautiful maidens Alrund, Svankit and Alvit. Three brothers discover them at the beach, carry them off and marry them.

The smith Volund marries Alvit.  After seven years, the swan maidens depart again, Volund remains home awaiting his wife's return.

                                                   

 The Eagle in Yggdrasil

High up in Yggdrasil's branches a powerful eagle is sitting looking far around him and flapping his large wings.  The small squirrel Ratarosk is running down the trunk carrying the eagles's words to the beast of Nidhogg (the one who cuts with malice or evil), who is gnawing at the world tree's root. 

 Warning of Ragnarok

The formidable dog Garm guards the entrance to the underworld kingdom (kingdom of the dead) and warns of the destruction of the old world.  Three cocks crow and warn of the pending battle.  Aisir's golden crested cock, Gullinkambi wakes Oden's heroes, the soot-red cock down in the underworld and the red cock, Fjalar in the world of the giants.

                                                         

Oden on Sleipner

Odin, the most powerful of the gods, is riding this eight-legged Sleipner, the fastest stallion in the world. 

These massive murals on the first floor of Oslo City Hall illustrate the history of Norway of the first part of the 20th century.

 In this hall, the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held annually on December 10.

 

The main hall was decorated by two famous Norwegian artists: Henrik Sørensen and Alf Rolfsen. 

 

In one of the frescoes, the pillars of Norwegian identity are represented—fishing, forestry and industry—flanked on either end by explorer Fridtjof Nansen and playwright Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, both of whom won Nobel prizes. 

 

The mural on this east side of the wall displays the history of the Nazi occupation.

 

  

Besides the grandeur of the murals, the design and craftsmanship of the wool woven fabric for the bench seating is beautifully executed.

Notice how the design and color palette emulate and complement the handsome marble flooring. 

 

 I am so attracted to the different flooring 

 

 

and the lighting 

 

and the ceilings in Rådhus.  

 

 

The stairs leading up to the second floor. 

  

 

The foyer leading into more massive rooms filled with murals, paintings and interesting lighting and flooring...

Magnificent murals on the second floor of Oslo City Hall are by Per Krohg (1889-1965), the Norwegian artist.

 

Murals by Krogh depict scenes related to Norwegian life, culture and history, often featuring a blend of Functionalism and Romanticism artistic styles.   You will find his murals in this room and the one across from the city council gallery.

 

 

This gallery is used for informal political activities relating to city council meetings.  The semi-circular room features beautifully crafted oak furnishings,

an intricate tapestry 

 

 and an unique light fixture, all reflecting classic mid-20th-century Norwegian design.

 

I was really struck by the beauty of this gallery, Krogh's frescoes, "The City & Country" covers every inch of the gallery.  The floor is made of black larikavkite, white ermine and red burmonddal stone.

 

The south wall depicts activities in the city,

 

while the north wall illustrates the surrounding countryside throughout the changing seasons.

 

 

 

At the top of the north wall is an image of a prisoner-of-war camp 

and menacing giant insects symbolize the enemy which acts as a reminder of Norway's occupation and WWII.

 

 "Growth" by Norwegian artist Willi Medelfart depicts an idealized, cheerful scene of people sunbathing, playing and enjoying outdoor leisure activities on a public beach along the Oslo fjord.  Its bright colors and style heavily draw inspiration from the works of Edvard Munch.

 

Also in the “Festgalleriet” (the Ceremonial Gallery), one will see portraits of of King Harald V and his Queen Sonja, King Olav V, and King Haakon VII. 

 

 

In the adjoining gallery, you will find it decorated with tapestries 

and scenes from Norwegian history. 

Again, interesting floor.  Dark marble Mosaic Inlay representing a stylized deer (or stag) grazing on the sprouts of Yggdrasil, the mythical Tree of Life . This piece is located directly on the polished marble floor of the Main Central Hall (Rådhushallen) inside Oslo City Hall.  In Norse lore, four sacred stags (Dåin, Dvalin, Dunøy, and Duratro) run among the branches of the world ash tree, Yggdrasil, feeding on its green shoots. The abstract pattern stretching behind the animal’s neck represents the stylized branches of the mythical world tree.   

and gorgeous ceiling.

 

The Edvard Munch room.

 

Titled "Life", Munch's painting represents the various stages of human existence - youth, maturity and old age - gathered around the central motif of "the tree of life".

 

A series of octagonal ceramic reliefs line the walls of the hallway leading into the main hall.

 

This scene depicts a fisherman in a boat surrounded by seagulls.

A plaque depicting the Madonna holding the Christ child who is holding a globe.

 

What an experience to see such murals created over a period of time less than thirty years!  We stayed right in the historic center of town at the Hotel Continental and  Rådhus was less than a ten minute walk from our hotel in the direction of the waterfront.  It is open daily from 9:00am -  2:00pm and free to the public.  I totally recommend adding this to your itinerary next time you are in Oslo!  I know it is on mine again.