Representing the nation: art and identity in Porfirian Mexico

Abstract

The Porfiriato (1876–1911) is one of the key periods in the history of modern Mexico. During this time the government of Porfirio Díaz undertook a series of important historiographic and artistic projects which sought to consolidate the basis of a national identity. The incorporation of Mexico's prehispanic past, however, became a controversial element in the cultural politics of the Porfiriato. By looking at some examples of state-sponsored commissions, in monuments and architecture, this article considers the ways in which artistic production responded to the demands of nationhood and progress; and the difficulties of integrating the legacies of prehispanic Mexico into the modern discourse of the nation.