mural painting and decoration

From the time his parents gave him colored chalk, Diego Rivera loved to draw. He drew everywhere, even on walls. As an adult he continued his childhood passion, becoming one of the world's most prominent muralists.

Photographs and illustrations profile the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy and show what the Basilica looked like before it was destroyed in an earthquake on September 26, 1997.

Tells the story of Diego Rivera's controversial Detroit Industry Murals, which he painted in 1932-33, commissioned by Edsel Ford, then president of the Ford Motor Company. Describes the murals' production and their meaning, and presents color reproductions.

A study of murals that were painted in U.S. post offices and courthouses during the 1930s, focusing on murals commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts, discussing the themes and styles of the paintings, how they were received by the public, and what they say about the culture of Depression-era America.

Documents the restoration of the Sistine Chapel, shown in its entirety, providing an intimate understanding of this masterpiece. Explains the various forensic studies carried out in the course of the project, the pragmatic concerns of the restoration, and the many problems of historical approach that were confronted.

Discusses Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes within the context of their site, cultural circumstances, production, narrative and compositional structure, style, and theological significance, and includes thirty-eight color plates of the Renaissance masterpiece.