Baker-Berry Library at Dartmouth College is one of a small number of public buildings in the US with works by Mexican painter and muralist Jose Clemente Orozco, who specialized in political murals. The Epic of American Civilization mural at Dartmouth, painted between 1932 and 1934, is certainly one of the largest and most complex. The mural features 24 panels representing overarching themes like migration and ancient human sacrifice. Visitors can navigate the mural using the interactive compass in the upper left corner of the site, as well as by left clicking and dragging in the direction they would like to move. For additional tips, select the question mark icon above the compass. In addition to the mural itself, Dartmouth owns more than two hundred preparatory drawings and historical photographs, which visitors to the Digital Orozco site can explore by clicking on various panels of the mural. For example, "The Pre-Columbian Golden Age" (panel 6) can be viewed along with over a dozen preparatory studies for the figures and layout in the mural, as well as a student research about the mural.
Comments