Call to Revolution and Table of Universal Brotherhood (Homecoming of the Worker of the New Day) 1931

Editor: So, this mural, "Call to Revolution and Table of Universal Brotherhood," was painted in 1931 by José Clemente Orozco, using the fresco technique. At first glance, it feels… solemn, almost like a prelude to something momentous. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the hands. Notice the gesture of giving, the hand outstretched. It echoes centuries of symbolic imagery – think of religious paintings where such gestures represent divine grace or the passing of knowledge. But here, it’s a worker, offering something earthly – tools, sustenance, or perhaps solidarity. What is he passing on, and why? Editor: Maybe the bread on the table symbolizes a more communal sharing of resources? Curator: Precisely. Food is a recurring motif, linking back to ideas of shared labour and social justice. The table itself acts as a modern-day altar. In Western painting tradition the table could represent abundance or ritual but here, juxtaposed against the figures seemingly on the precipice of revolution, I think it asks us where, and to whom, that abundance is allocated, doesn't it? Editor: That's thought-provoking. It's almost as if the figures and objects aren't just representing themselves but embodying larger historical or political forces. Curator: Exactly! Orozco pulls from our collective memory of religious art, reshaping those familiar symbols into revolutionary statements. He asks, how can we forge a new collective memory centered on labor and shared humanity? Editor: I see how this reading transforms my initial sense of solemnity into something much more…active. It's not just a prelude, it's a call to action! Curator: Indeed! Orozco uses powerful, pre-existing imagery to speak to our deepest psychological needs and create potent new narratives. Hopefully, this brief time with the work has given you something to reflect on. Editor: Definitely. I’ll never look at a table in a painting the same way again. Thanks!