American Civilization – The Gods of the Modern World (1932) by Jose Clemente Orozco

American Civilization - The Gods of the Modern World - Jose Clemente Orozco - 1932 - 1934

Artwork Information

TitleAmerican Civilization - The Gods of the Modern World
ArtistJose Clemente Orozco
Date1932 - 1934
Mediumfresco
Art MovementMuralism
Current LocationBaker-Berry Library (Dartmouth College), Hanover, NH, US
Location Created Hanover, United States
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About American Civilization - The Gods of the Modern World

Jose Clemente Orozco’s Epic of American Civilization is an immense mural cycle considered one of Jose Clemente Orozco’s most important works. The series, painted in 1932 and located in the Orozco Room, Baker Library at Dartmouth College, consists of 24 panels. The Epic depicts motifs conventionally associated with civilizations throughout time such as war, destruction, and creation. With its powerful imagery and tour de force painting technique, the mural has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Orozco’s mural is an embodiment of the spirit of nationhood informed by generational themes—from religious transcendence to cultural victimization—and accompanied mostly by a symphony of colors in muted oranges, blues, grays and greens that create visual rhythm across each narrative panel. A visit to the historic site sees readers taught about how civilizations grow and how peoples interact within them. This insight allows for a deeper understanding of how individuals build cultures yet become subject to their own historic roots – a meditation on power paradigm structures.

Women And A Pierrot – Emil Nolde – 1917 is another renowned painting which captures the vibrant culture unique to Germany during World War 1 era. It includes archetypal characters such as a woman smoking along with Pierrot figure dancing around her –a symbol of gay abandon that still resonates today as much as it did during his time period Nearly a century later this artwork gives us insights not only into Western culture when it was timelessly ageless but also into Nolde’s playful yet authentic personality—as he liked to joke his artworks were mere exercises in color that wanted nothing more than making people happy.

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