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Murals of sorts date to prehistoric times such as the paintings on the Caves of Lascaux in southern France. There are many techniques. The most well known is probably " fresco", which uses water soluble paints with a damp lime wash, a rapid use of the resulting mixture over a large surface, and often in parts (but with a sense of the whole). The colors lighten when dried.
Murals today may be painted in a variety of ways, using oil or water based media. The styles can vary from abstract to Trompe L'Oeil (a French term for fool or trick the eye).
The most famous mural is probably Guernica, by Pablo Picasso. Picasso's painting commemorates a small Basque village bombed by The German Luftwaffe in April 1937 during the Spanish Civil War in support of Francisco Franco's Nationalist army. Picasso depicts a nightmarish scene of men, women, children and animals under bombardment. Art historian Herbert Read described the work as "a cry of outrage and horror amplified by a great genius". The second most famous mural is probably the eight-panel Water Lilies ( 1926), by the Impressionist Claude MonetOscar-Claude Monet ( November 14, 1840 December 5, 1926), French impressionist painter. Claude Monet Monet was born in Paris, France. His family moved to Le Havre in Normandy when he was six. His father wanted him to go into the family grocery store busin.
Among the world's most famous muralists are Diego RiveraDiego Rivera (Full name Diego Maria de la Concepcion Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodriguez)( December 8, 1886- November 24, 1957) was a Mexican painter and muralist, born in Guanajuato, Mexico. Diego Rivera Rivera went to, David Álfaro SiqueirosDavid Alfaro Siqueiros ( December 29, 1896 January 6, 1974) was a Mexican painter and muralist. He was known for his social realist work, including many murals depicting Mexican history. Siqueiros (see-KAY-ros) was not just an extraordinary painter, but a, José Clemente OrozcoJose Clemente Orozco (born November 23, 1883, in Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco; died September 7, 1949, in Mexico City) was a Mexican social realist painter who specialized in murals. He studied in Mexico City at the San Carlos Academy. With such Mexican artists, and the Bogside ArtistsThe Bogside Artists are a trio of mural painters, living and working in Northern Ireland. They are Tom Kelly, his brother William Kelly, and their mutual friend Kevin Hasson. They have been working together since 1993. On July 31, 2004 they completed thei.
Almost all of the Northern Ireland murals promote either Republican or Loyalist political beliefs, often glorifying paramilitary groups such as the Irish Republican Army and the Ulster Volunteer Force, while others commemorate people who have lost their lives in terrorist attacks. Many artists incorporate messages of religious intolerance into politically-driven murals.
The most famous of the murals in Northern Ireland may well be Free Derry Corner , where the slogan "You Are Now Entering Free Derry" was painted in 1969, shortly after the Battle of the Bogside . However, some do not consider Free Derry Corner to be a true mural as it is only words and not images. Free Derry Corner has been used as a model for other murals in Northern Ireland, including the "You Are Now Entering Loyalist Sandy Row" mural in Belfast, which was a response to the Republican message of Free Derry Corner, and the "You Are Now Entering Derry Journal Country" mural, which is an advertisement for a Derry publication.
Not all murals in Northern Ireland are political or religious in nature, with some commemorating events such as the Great Famine and other moments in the history of Ireland. Many portray events from Irish mythology, though images from Irish myths are often incorporated into political murals. A few murals avoid the subject of Ireland altogether, instead focusing on such neutral subjects as litter prevention and the C.S. Lewis novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe[1]. Murals representing peace and tolerance are becoming increasingly popular with school groups who have children either design or actually paint murals in areas around their schools.