Detroit Institute of Arts - Photos - "Detroit Industry" murals
Detroit Institute of Arts
The largest panel of the NORTH WALL represents the production of the V-8 engine of the 1932 Ford. Rivera depicted people of many races working together on the assembly line, even though racist hiring practices at that time concentrated people of color in the other, more dangerous, and lower paying jobs. The upper corners of the panel contrast the beneficial and harmful results of modem science: on the right, a baby is vaccinated against smallpox; on the left, workers in gas masks manufacture poison bombs.
The large panel of the SOUTH WALL is the culmination of the automobile manufacturing process.
The Detroit Industry Murals begin on the east wall, where Rivera painted a baby growing in a plant bulb to remind us that all human endeavor is rooted in the earth. Notice the plows on either side. Their industrial steel blades slice through the earth to extract sustenance for life and resources to fuel industry. The women on each side are fertility figures holding fruits, vegetables, and grains grown in Michigan.
Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera - the West wall passenger planes and bombers present a clear contrast between the constructive and destructive uses of technology. Below the planes, panels featuring a dove and a hawk emphasize the central theme of peace versus conflict.
A view at the South Wall (left) and the West Wall (right) inside the Riviera Court
April 8, 2024
The major panel of the south wall is the culmination of the automobile manufacturing process; look for the tiny red car in the center emerging from the end of the assembly line.
The major panel of the south wall is the culmination of the automobile manufacturing process; look for the tiny red car in the center emerging from the end of the assembly line.
A detail view at the tiny red car in the center emerging from the end of the assembly line.
Detroit Institute of Arts - North Wall
The central panel of the north wall represents the production and manufacture of the engine and transmission of the 1932 Ford V-8.
Rivera painted himself in a bowler hat on the upper left side of the North Wall main panel.
On the upper north and south panels Rivera painted gigantic red, black, yellow and white figures symbolic of the diverse workforce; here a segment on the North Wall known as the Black Race.
On the upper north and south panels Rivera painted gigantic red, black, yellow and white figures symbolic of the diverse workforce; here a segment on the North Wall known as the Black Race.
On the upper north and south panels Rivera painted gigantic red, black, yellow and white figures symbolic of the diverse workforce; here a segment on the North Wall known as the Black Race.
On the upper north and south panels Rivera painted gigantic red, black, yellow and white figures symbolic of the diverse workforce; here a segment on the North Wall known as the Black Race.
Detroit Industry Murals - "Manufacture of Poisonous Gas Bombs" on the upper left corner of the North Wall
Detroit Industry Murals - A Dick Tracy likeness is worked into the upper right corner on the South Wall.
EAST WALL: After Frida Kahlo suffered a miscarriage, Diego Rivera altered one panel of the Detroit Industry mural. Originally depicting a farm scene, he replaced it with an image of a healthy infant cradled in a plant bulb, symbolically nourished by the earth.
The most controversial panel in 1932 was a small section on the upper right of the North Wall. In it, Rivera depicts a child being vaccinated in a medical laboratory, surrounded by animals that provided the serum. This composition draws inspiration from traditional Christian nativity scenes, where baby Jesus is attended by Mary, Joseph, and the three wise men. To Rivera, medical technology represented the new savior of humanity. The child is modeled after the kidnapped Lindbergh baby, Mary after the popular actress Jean Harlow, and the doctor is a portrait of museum director William Valentiner. The three scientists, whom Rivera referred to as a Catholic, Protestant, and Jew, symbolize an ecumenical vision of wise, medical men.
Detail of the main panel of the North Wall - Photo from November 16, 2024
South Wall detail
A detail from the south wall of Detroit Industry at the Detroit Institute of Arts depicts Edsel Ford, in a gray suit, and William Valentiner, in a blue suit, holding the contract for the murals.
West Wall detail
West wall
the West wall passenger planes and bombers present a clear contrast between the constructive and destructive uses of technology. Below the planes, panels featuring a dove and a hawk emphasize the central theme of peace versus conflict.
West wall detail
