Mankind's Struggle for Lasting Peace (detail) 1953

Vela Zanetti made this mural with its brown, red, and beige tones, where we see monumental figures struggling. I wonder what it was like for him, Zanetti, to create this piece – he’s trying to grasp something immense, mankind’s struggle, right? And he's doing it with this earthy palette that feels both grounded and turbulent. You can see it in the woman's face, she’s shielding her eyes, maybe from the harshness of the world, or maybe she's looking towards some kind of future. I feel the weight of those thick, muscular arms; the figures rendered in the mural pull you in with their physicality. They communicate a feeling of both strength and vulnerability, a tension between hope and despair. It makes you think about other artists who grappled with big themes, like Picasso with Guernica, or Rivera with his Detroit Industry murals. Artists are always talking to each other across time, riffing off each other's ideas, trying to make sense of this crazy world. Painting isn't about answers; it’s about wrestling with the questions.