Prometheus (Orozco) Explained

Prometheus
Other Language 1:Spanish
Other Title 1:Spanish; Castilian: Prometeo
Artist:José Clemente Orozco[1]
Medium:Fresco
Movement:Mexican muralism
Height Metric:610
Width Metric:870
Height Imperial:20
Width Imperial:28
Imperial Unit:feet
Dimensions Ref:[2]
Museum:Frary Dining Hall, Pomona College
City:Claremont

Prometheus (Spanish; Castilian: Prometeo) is a fresco by Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco[3] depicting the Greek Titan Prometheus stealing fire from the heavens to give to humans.[4] It was commissioned for Pomona College's Frary Dining Hall and completed in June 1930,[3] becoming the first modern fresco in the United States.[5] [6] It has received widespread critical acclaim.[7]

Description

The mural is above a fireplace at the north end of the refectory of Frary Dining Hall at Pomona College. It consists of four panels: a main one facing the open eating area of the dining hall, two side ones, and an overhead one. The Titan Prometheus of ancient Greek mythology dominates the main panel, reaching for fire to give to humans, an act for which he would later be punished by Zeus. Surrounding his muscular, contorted figure is a crowd of people reacting to the gift, with some welcoming it and others scorning it.[4] [3] The color palette features heavy use of reds, blues, and black.[5]

Production

The mural was commissioned in 1930 for Pomona's newly built neo-Gothic men's dining hall by its architect, Sumner Spaulding, and professor of art history and Hispanic studies .[8] Journalist Alma Reed, a patron of Orozco's in New York, also helped the artist obtain the commission.[9] Students helped to raise $300[3] of Orozco's artist fee of $2500[10] .

Orozco stayed on campus for three months to complete the mural, living in a Clark dormitory, eating meals at Frary, and using students as models.[11] He was assisted in the painting by Jorge Juan Crespo de la Serna, particularly with the side panels.[12]

Interpretation

Art historians generally interpret the mural to be a metaphor for the challenges often faced by those seeking to expand the realm of knowledge, particularly from conservative authority figures.[13] The varying reactions of the crowd around Prometheus depicts that human development comes with both costs and benefits.[4]

This theme connects to the mural's collegiate setting.[8] [12] It also had personal resonance for Orozco, who faced resistance throughout his life from those opposed to his leftist political views.

The subject of fire was of interest to him because of a fireworks accident in which he lost his left hand when he was 21.

Reception and influence

Prometheus received immediate critical acclaim upon completion.[7] Los Angeles Times art critic Arthur Millier declared it a masterpiece, writing that Orozco "has energized that wall with his sublime conception of Prometheus bearing fire to cold, longing humanity until it lives as probably no wall in the United States lives today." He praised its "dynamic composition", describing it as "powerful beyond anything one can anticipate".[14]

It was the first major work by a Mexican muralist in the United States,[15] and helped Orozco, who was relatively unknown at the time,[16] [17] to subsequently land two other U.S. commissions, a mural room at The New School in New York City and The Epic of American Civilization at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.[18] He would later become known as one of the "big three" of the Mexican Mural Renaissance.[19] [8]

Prometheus heavily influenced abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock,[20] [21] [22] who first visited the mural in the summer of 1930 and called it "the greatest painting in North America".[1] [23] Spaulding, Frary's architect, said "I feel as though the building would fall down if the fresco were removed."[1]

Among contemporary students, it is often noted for its conspicuous lack of a penis;[24] [25] Orozco likely omitted it to avoid offending puritanical sensibilities.[26] He attempted to add one when he visited Pomona several months after initially completing the mural, but it did not adhere properly to the wall.

Preservation and restoration

Pomona has undertaken various preservation and restoration efforts over the years. In 1980, a protective varnish was applied over the mural.[27] In 1982, structural damage was discovered in the wall behind the mural; it was subsequently reinforced.[1] In 1995, it was restored after being damaged by vandals.[28] In 2000, the college acquired preparatory drawings for the work from Orozco's relatives.[8]

See also

Public art at Pomona College

References

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: José Clemente Orozco's Prometheus . . 18 May 2021 . 2 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210702141646/https://www.pomona.edu/museum/collections/jos%C3%A9-clemente-orozcos-prometheus . live .
  2. Web site: Prometheus . . 19 May 2021.
  3. News: Allen . David . Orozco's 'Prometheus' mural provides food for thought at Pomona College dining hall . 18 May 2020 . . 22 October 2017 . 22 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200322134521/https://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/10/22/orozcos-prometheus-provides-food-for-thought-at-pomona-college-dining-hall/ . live .
  4. Web site: Vallen . Mark . Prometheus: José Clemente Orozco . Art for a Change . 9 February 2014 . 18 May 2020 . 16 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200216203617/http://art-for-a-change.com/blog/2014/02/prometheus-jose-clemente-orozco.html . live .
  5. Web site: José Clemente Orozco Artworks & Famous Paintings . The Art Story . 18 May 2020 . 3 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200603213707/https://www.theartstory.org/artist/orozco-jose-clemente/artworks/ . live .
  6. News: Angeleti . Gabriella . Beyond the wall: a golden period of exchange between Mexican and US artists is revisited in new show . 20 May 2020 . . 10 February 2020 . 5 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200805135723/https://www.theartnewspaper.com/preview/when-mexican-art-crossed-the-border . live .
  7. Web site: José Clemente Orozco's Prometheus . Pomona College . 18 May 2020 . It was almost immediately acclaimed a masterpiece. Critics noted the skill with which Orozco scaled the composition to its architectural environment. . 2 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210702141646/https://www.pomona.edu/museum/collections/jos%C3%A9-clemente-orozcos-prometheus . live .
  8. News: Cheng . Scarlet . An Intimate Take on a Public Gem . 18 May 2020 . . 10 December 2000 . 21 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200721095537/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-10-ca-63498-story.html . live .
  9. Book: Haskell, Barbara. Barbara Haskell

    . Barbara Haskell. Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art, 1925-1945. Whitney Museum of American Art with Yale University Press. 2020. 978-0-300-24669-8. New York. 18. América: Mexican Muralism and Art in the United States, 1925-1945. 1111979440.

  10. News: Allen . David . 'Prometheus' mural ignites Mexican artists in PST: LA/LA show at Pomona College . 18 May 2020 . . 16 September 2017 . 21 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200721095022/https://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/09/16/prometheus-mural-ignites-mexican-artists-in-pst-lala-show-at-pomona-college/ . live .
  11. Web site: 1930 . Pomona College Timeline . Pomona College . 19 May 2020 . en . . 20 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200720212028/https://www.pomona.edu/timeline/1930s/1930 . live .
  12. Scott . David W. . Orozco's Prometheus: Summation, Transition, Innovation . . 1957 . 17 . 1 . 2–18 . 10.2307/773653 . 773653 . 1543-6322.
  13. Polcari . Stephen . Orozco and Pollock: Epic Transfigurations . . 1992 . 6 . 3 . 43 . 10.1086/424159 . 3109102 . 194040790 . 1073-9300 . The subject and Orozco's rendering of it suggest the complex cost of human development.
  14. News: Millier . Arthur . Arthur Millier . Prometheus Reconceived: Orozco's Fresco of Fire-Bringing Titan Gives Claremont Masterpiece . 16 December 2021 . . 1 June 1930 . 33,40,49 . . 16 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211216225931/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23075941/the-los-angeles-times/ . live .
  15. News: Knight . Christopher . Christopher Knight (art critic) . When culling a collection is a good thing . 14 May 2021 . . 15 March 2009 . 14 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210514062203/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-mar-15-ca-deaccession15-story.html . live .
  16. News: Waldman . Tom . Icons . 22 August 2020 . . 1 December 1991.
  17. Web site: Prometheus . . 20 May 2020 . en . 3 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200703103018/https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/prometheus-jos%C3%A9-clemente-orozco/8AHkK7oQDYy05w . live .
  18. Web site: May . Stephen . José Clemente Orozco in the United States . Antiques and the Arts . 19 May 2020 . 3 December 2002 . 23 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923164204/https://www.antiquesandthearts.com/jose-clemente-orozco-in-the-united-states/ . live .
  19. Web site: El muralismo y la Revolución Mexicana . Luz Elena Mainero del Castillo . . Mexico . 2012 . es . Muralism and the Mexican Revolution . 27 June 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120514210135/http://www.inehrm.gob.mx/Portal/PtMain.php?pagina=exp-muralismo-en-la-revolucion-articulo . 14 May 2012 .
  20. News: Cotter . Holland . How Mexico's Muralists Lit a Fire Under U.S. Artists . 18 May 2020 . . 20 February 2020 . 7 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200607152442/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/arts/design/vida-americana-mexican-muralists-whitney.html . live .
  21. Polcari . Stephen . Orozco and Pollock: Epic Transfigurations . . 1992 . 6 . 3 . 37–57 . 10.1086/424159 . 3109102 . 194040790 . 1073-9300.
  22. Schjeldahl . Peter . The Lasting Influence of Mexico's Great Muralists . 9 June 2020 . . en . 6 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200806165953/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/02/the-lasting-influence-of-mexicos-great-muralists . live .
  23. Web site: American Masters . José Clemente Orozco . Filmmaker Interview . . 19 May 2020 . 29 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200129064903/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/orozco_j_interview_en.html . live .
  24. News: Sutton . Frances . Framed: 'Prometheus'—the hunk without the junk at Frary . 18 May 2020 . . 28 February 2020 . 2 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210702141635/https://tsl.news/the-hunk-without-the-junk-at-frary/ . live .
  25. News: Biemiller . Lawrence . What Students Ask About Orozco's Prometheus Is, Well, Obvious . 20 May 2020 . . 16 February 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170416223555/https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/postcards/what-students-ask-about-orozcos-prometheus-is-well-obvious/982 . 16 April 2017.
  26. News: Gurza . Agustin . Orozco at the Border . 18 May 2020 . Pomona College Magazine . Pomona College . 2 July 2012 . 14 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200714095147/http://magazine.pomona.edu/2012/summer/orozco-at-the-border/ . live .
  27. Rodriguez . Abigail . Playing With Fire: An Examination of the Context and Conservation of Jose Clemente Orozco's Prometheus . . 20 May 2020 . 2016 . 8 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200608112325/https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/860/ . live .
  28. Web site: 1995 . Pomona College Timeline . Pomona College . 14 August 2020 . en . . 7 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200807042219/https://www.pomona.edu/timeline/1990s/1995 . live .

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