Mural

A mural is a large scale painting that traditionally appeared on any hard surface such as a wall or ceiling. In the present day, a mural can also be painted on a movable surface, such as canvas, muslin or wooden panels and subsequently applied to a permanent surface. Large scale photographs are another medium that can be mounted to a permanent surface. A mural can be moved if tacked or stapled to a wall, or lightly adhered with acid free glue.


Murals date back to the cave paintings of prehistoric time, most famous are the well-preserved murals of the Lascaux caves in southern France . Murals were also a popular art form adorning churches, flourishing during the Renaissance period, when artists were sustained by commissions by the church. Michelangelo, Rafael, Leonardo da Vinci, are all well known for their depiction of biblical characters and scenes. The wealthy elite of Europe commissioned artwork to adorn their palaces.


The mural painting method was traditionally fresco, which uses pigment embedded in a damp lime wash (plaster). The artist can only work in small areas at a time, while the plaster is wet, and the result is very permanent, as the color is imbued into the surface, rather than sitting on top. Murals have come to serve a variety of social and political causes. Mexican mural painters such as Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros and Jose Orozco used the large scale painting to convey their political sentiments. In the United States , the Works Projects Administration hired muralists to create paintings that depicted American life. Today, murals have become popularized, used to adorn the exterior of buildings, or to personalize an interior space.

Cultural Significance of Murals

Originally the mural was an art form that only the elite could sponsor and own. With the exception of the church, full scale murals were not an art form accessible to the common man. In time, mural painting and decorative painting became part of the world of Everyman. Mural projects for cities grew in popularity, often funded by grants or commercial vendors. Portions of a city where murals are painted become points of attraction. A mural can define a structure and make it a landmark. In private homes, small detailing of walls and woodwork became more popular. Stencilling walls and hand painting ornamentation in English cottages or Amish homes, for example, stand as definitive aspects the architecture of those two cultures.


Mural painting has become the great equalizer, because it not only brings art into the public domain, it brings the process of making art into the public domain. A mural project evolves over time, and passersby are often engaged in the progress of the piece, especially when the mural painting is executed in a neighborhood. Contemporary mural painting is most frequently done with paint: latex, acrylic or oil based paints are most commonly used now by mural painters.