The artwork titled “Entry into the Mine” was created by the renowned artist Diego Rivera in 1923. It is a fresco, measuring 474 x 366 cm, and is associated with the Muralism movement. This genre painting is located at the Secretariat of Public Education Main Headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico.
The artwork depicts laborers entering a mine, burdened with tools and heavy wooden beams on their shoulders. Their muscular, strained bodies are shown in motion, emphasizing the arduous nature of their tasks. The composition is organized around a central archway, which visually divides the scene into two symmetrical halves, suggesting the entrance to the underground world. The earthy, muted color palette and thick, almost sculptural application of paint enhance the somber and robust atmosphere of the scene. The fresco technique, which involves applying pigments on freshly laid wet plaster, gives the painting a textured, enduring quality consistent with the permanence attributed to Rivera’s murals.
