The Convent, the Muralist, and the Derailed Masterpiece

San Miguel de Allende is a town where architecture and art have sprung to life and shaped its character. Among its most fascinating landmarks is an iconic convent that has transformed over the centuries.

Its modern history is particularly notorious for housing an unfinished masterpiece by one of Mexico’s greatest muralists. Let’s dive into that story to uncover the true power of this striking artwork.

The dramatic creation of a beloved convent

The de la Canal family, once the wealthiest in 18th century San Miguel de Allende, left a stunning architectural legacy. One of the city’s most iconic buildings in town came to exist when María Josefina Lina de la Canal lost both her parents at just 15 years of age. In her grief, she decided to dedicate herself to a higher calling by becoming a nun and devoting her vast inheritance to building her own convent. She began constructing the Convent and Church of the Immaculate Conception in 1755 and inaugurated it ten years later. It has since been locally known and loved as La Iglesia de las Monjas.

The convent served its religious purpose until the Reform Laws of 1860, when the government seized church property nationwide. This led to halting religious activities and the building was repurposed several times, including serving as military barracks during the Revolution War. The church was eventually restored and continues to serve its original purpose.

In 1938, Felipe Cossío del Pomar, a Peruvian artist and diplomat in exile, transformed the convent section of the complex into the University School of Fine Arts. However, the school faced mismanagement and financial difficulties, leading to its takeover in 1949 by the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL). Since then, as a government-run institution, it has continued to serve as an arts education center under the name Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez "El Nigromante," locally known as Bellas Artes.

Del porfirismo a la Revolución by David Alfaro Siqueiros is at the National Museum of History, Castillo de Chapultepec.

The Revolutionary Art that Shaped the Nation

After the triumph of the Mexican Revolution in 1920, the government commissioned a series of grand and monumental murals. Born out of the revolutionary spirit, many of these works celebrated the political and social achievements of the era while also depicting the ongoing fight for equal rights and opportunities.

The Mexican authorities tasked renowned artists Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco with decorating public buildings with these massive murals, using art as a means to inform and shape the nation's cultural and ideological direction as visual manifestos.

Siqueiros' Radical Path

David Alfaro Siqueiros political activism shaped much of his creative journey. At the age of 18, he joined the Constitutionalist Army to fight in the Mexican Revolution, first against the government of Victoriano Huerta, and later against the forces of Villa and Zapata. After the Revolution, Siqueiros returned to painting and traveled to Europe, where he was deeply influenced by the avant-garde movement. Back in Mexico, he became a devoted member of the Mexican Communist Party, and his activism led to multiple imprisonments.

A staunch Stalinist, Siqueiros was involved in a 1940 attempt to assassinate Leon Trotsky. Trotsky had arrived in Mexico in 1937, exiled from the Soviet Union for opposing Joseph Stalin. Siqueiros led a group of armed men to attack Trotsky’s home in Coyoacán, Mexico City, using gunfire and explosives. Trotsky survived, and Siqueiros was arrested but later released.

In 1960, Siqueiros was charged with "social dissolution" for his support of the labor and union movements. He was arrested and sentenced to eight years at the maximum-security Lecumberri Penitentiary. His imprisonment sparked widespread outrage, seen by many as an attack on freedom of expression. Intellectual circles rallied, urging the Mexican government to release him. In 1964, Siqueiros was freed, with his release framed as recognition of his important services to the nation through his murals.

The Rebel Called to San Miguel de Allende

In 1948, Stirling Dickinson, the artistic director of the University School of Fine Arts in San Miguel de Allende, invited Siqueiros to teach a class on muralism. Siqueiros was eager to share both his art and political views with the students, most of whom were U.S. and Canadian war veterans.

As part of his class, Siqueiros conceived the mural Vida y Obra del Generalísimo Don Ignacio Allende as a tribute to the local hero. The mural aimed to capture the key events that shaped Allende’s revolutionary mindset and his leading role in Mexico's War of Independence. The teacher and about 40 students worked on the mural within the former convent’s vaulted dining hall.

Spanning 550 square meters, Siqueiros used the creation of this mural as an means to teach his students his innovative techniques, which he called dynamic architecture. This style was designed to engage viewers, inviting them to experience the artwork from multiple perspectives and creating a sense of interaction.

A Masterpiece Interrupted by Ideological Disputes

Siqueiros opposed the way the school’s financial manager, Alfredo Campanella, prioritized profit over the school's educational and social mission. He believed the institution should serve as a platform for meaningful artistic engagement and social awareness, not as a business venture. Budget constraints further escalated the tension between these two men, leading to Siqueiros and most of his students walking out in protest, leaving the mural unfinished.

Since then, its incomplete state has only amplified its significance. It offers a unique chance to explore Siqueiros’ intricate technical process, revealing the foundational layers of geometry, color, and form that define his signature style.

From mural to manuscript

The frustration over leaving his mural unfinished drove Siqueiros to channel his artistic vision into a book. Cómo se pinta un mural (How to Paint a Mural) was published in 1951.

In this book, Siqueiros reflects on his understanding of muralism and its connection to architecture. He explores the evolution of Mexican muralism and its role in shaping cultural and social landscapes, offering deep insights into how art can transform public spaces and address societal issues.

Visitors to the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez El Nigromante can step into the vaulted hall and experience the mural firsthand. Standing there transports you into the world Siqueiros sought to create with a powerful stance.