Nuestros dioses 1915

Saturnino Herrán made this painting, Nuestros dioses, with oil on canvas. The colours in this piece are earthy, ochre and raw umber dominate and the figures seem hewn from the very soil, but then there are surprising pale blues and greens in the background that suggest a space beyond the immediate. The application of paint is quite thin and the brushwork is visible, but not overly expressive. Herrán seems to want to describe the figures in a naturalistic way, without too much personal intrusion. Notice the way the figures emerge from the background, their forms defined by subtle tonal shifts rather than stark outlines. It's as if the artist is showing us how we come to understand the world through observation and careful attention to detail. Looking at this piece I'm reminded of the American artist Thomas Hart Benton, there's a similar interest in depicting the human figure with dynamism and a kind of heroic monumentality. However, the subject matter in Herrán's work, with its focus on indigenous Mexican culture, adds a layer of complexity and historical significance. Art isn't just about what we see, it's about how we see and what we choose to focus on.