The Sugar Mill 1923

Diego Rivera's "The Sugar Mill" at the Secretariat of Public Education in Mexico City depicts laborers through earthy tones. It's a painting that feels baked into the wall, almost like a fresco with all of its matte colours. I’m drawn to the way Rivera handles the bodies in the lower register, how they bend and strain, almost like vines. There’s a physicality to the paint application itself. You can see the work, the constant and repetitive movement. There are no hidden marks here. The gestures feel laboured, in a sense - look at the way the arms emerge from the body, it feels really well observed. There's a dialogue between the formal qualities of the painting and the social commentary. Rivera's work reminds me of other artists who address the dignity of labor, like Käthe Kollwitz, but he brings his own unique vision, deeply rooted in Mexican history and culture. Ultimately, “The Sugar Mill” is about the ongoing conversation between art, labor, and social consciousness, it encourages us to reflect on art as a space for multiple perspectives.