Rivera was invited by Detroit to paint two fresco style murals in what then was know as the Garden Court, located in the center of the Detroit Institute of Arts museum. The only prerequisite given to Rivera was that the murals were to reflect Detroit's role in industrialization. The project was funded by Edsel Ford, whom was the both the president of the Arts Commission and Ford Motor Company. Appropriately, Rivera studied Ford Motor Company's River Rouge complex to acquire an understanding of various manufacturing processes. By developing first his engineer's perspective, he was then prepared to present the technical illustration in a realistic sequence that depicted mass automotive manufacturing. This realism is a strong feature, and e

The room in it's entirety is symbolic of the process that transforms raw materials beneath the surface into self propelled machines. The east wall is where life begins. The center tile is a child growing in the 'womb' of a plant bulb. On either sides of the center tile are two women sitting with Michigan native crops in their laps. These images symbolizes our dependance on the earth, and the basis for all technological advances. The opposite wall (west) the theme is more developed, demonstrating the advanced technologies of the time. From our earliest form of transportation (water vessels) to the most advanced aviation technologies, Rivera intermingled the two on this wall, dividing them into good and evil. The north and south walls are divided into three ideas. The upper center tiles represent the four major races that make up the American work force (Red, Black, Yellow, and White). Between each figure are huge fists clutching raw materials. These fists are symbolic of our need for the earths elements for the production of materials such as steel. One either sides of those panels are frescos depicting other Detroit based industries (medical, chemical, and pharmaceutical), and the positive and negatives of each. On both north and south walls, the large main panels are Rivera's interpretation of the Rouge plant. The south wall illustrates the exterior production of the automobile, where the north wall demonstrates the assembling of the engine and transmission. Collectively, all 27 tiles flow together to illustrate the transformation processes connecting various forms of life. However, the two main Rouge plant panels are what really express the unity of man and machine.

Inset along the bottom of the two main murals, are 12 smaller thumbnail

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1192
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)