Dr.

Atl
Life and Art
By: Astrid Valdes 10H-4A

He was born in Guadalajara, state of Jalisco, where he began the study of

painting at an early age, under Felipe Castro. At the age of 21, Murillo
entered the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City to further his studies.
After showing his abilities, Murillo was granted a pension in 1897 by
President Porfirio Díaz to study painting in Europe. There he broadened
his scope of learning, with study of philosophy and law at the University
of Rome, and many trips to Paris to listen to lectures about art given
by Henri Bergson. His strong interest in politics led him to collaborate
with the Socialist Party in Italy and work in the Avanti newspaper. In
1902 he was "baptized" "Dr. Atl" (the Nahuatl word for "water")
by Leopoldo Lugones.
Dr. Atl became very active in Mexico when he returned. In 1906 he
participated with Diego Rivera, Francisco de la Torre and Rafael Ponce
de León and others in an exhibition sponsored by Alonso Cravioto and
Luis Castillo Ledon, the editors of the magazine Savia Moderna.
In 1906 Dr. Atl issued a manifesto calling for the development of a
monumental public art movement in Mexico linked to the lives and
interests of the Mexican people, a precursor of the Mexican Mural
Movement launched in 1922. He was also commissioned by the Diaz
government to design a glass curtain for the Institute of Fine Arts (Bellas
Artes) under construction in Mexico City, which was executed by
Tiffany's of New York. The curtain featured the two volcanoes
overlooking the capital. He was also commissioned to paint a mural,
which was postponed by the eruption of the Mexican Revolution against
Porfirio Díaz in 1910.
In 1911, Dr. Atl returned to Europe. In Paris, he founded a journal and
wrote about the social and political issues of Mexico, and criticized
General Victoriano Huerta, who had helped overthrow the
democratically elected government of Francisco I. Madero. Dr. Atl
supported the Constitutionalist faction in the Mexican Revolution,
leaning towards "biblical socialism" and promoting the growth of art,
literature, and science. When he returned from Europe, he joined the
Constitutionalist forces led by Venustiano Carranza, and was appointed
Director of the Academy of San Carlos. During the Revolution, he
persuaded two young art students, José Clemente Orozco and David
Alfaro Siqueiros, to join the Carrancistas and illustrated La Vanguardia,
the carrancista official paper.
The winning faction of the Revolution rejected the euro-centric emphasis
of the Mexican government in the 19th and early 20th century and
following the Revolution, there was a revival of interest in Mexico's rich
indigenous past and the popular arts, including folk dance, music, arts
and crafts. Dr. Atl and other artists arranged exhibits of the folk arts and
performances of popular dance and music and Dr. Atl prepared a two-
volume study, Folk Arts in Mexico, published by the Mexican
government in 1922.

Fun Fact about him

Dr. Atl's strong love of the outdoors and his active nature are seen in his
many paintings which portray the landscapes of his era. Among his
interests was the study of volcanoes, and he spent much time visiting
both Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl.] In his 1950 book, Cómo nace y
crece un volcán, el Paricutín ("How a Volcano is Born and Grows –
Paricutín"), he told of his experience of witnessing the eruption
of Paricutín in 1943. He was injured while observing the eruption and his
leg was amputated. Besides painting volcanic landscapes, he was
considered an expert volcanologist and his papers were valuable to
understanding volcanos.
He died in Mexico City in 1964. He is buried in Panteon Civil de
Dolores cemetery in the capital.
Some of his works

Bibliography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Atl
https://culturacolectiva.com/art/doctor-atl-mexican-painter-biography