This new interpretive history of Mexican art & architecture from the Spanish Conquest to the early decades of the 21st century is the most comprehensive introduction to the subject in fifty years James Oles ranges widely across media & genres offering new readings of paintings murals sculptures buildings prints & photographs He interprets major works by such famous artists as Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo but also discusses less familiar figures who were equally important in the construction of national identity The story of Mexican art is set in its rich historical context by the books treatment of political & social change The author draws on recent scholarship to examine crucial issues of race class & gender including an exploration of the work of indigenous artists during the colonial period & of women artists in the 19th & 20th centuries Throughout Oles shows how artists in Mexico participated in local & international developments & highlights the important role played by Mexicans in the art world of the last five centuries