A mural is an artistic work developed on a wall.
The first thing we are going to do, before going into depth into establishing the meaning of the word mural , is to make its etymological origin clear. In this sense, we have to say that it derives from Latin, since it is the result of the sum of two components of said language:
• The noun “murus”, which can be translated as “outer wall”.
• The suffix “-al,” which is used to indicate “relating to.”
What is a mural
Mural is an adjective used to refer to what is linked to a wall . The term can also be used as a noun to name the painting that is developed on a wall.
For example: “Communist militants painted a mural of Che Guevara on the corner of my house” , “Siqueiros' murals are my favorites” , “What struck me most about the church is its mural with religious allegories” , “We need to hire to an expert in wall repairs to shore up the structure.”
Historical tour
Throughout history , humans have always chosen walls to develop artistic manifestations. Cave painting , in fact, was developed on the walls of the caves.
Deer, bison or horses are some of the animals that were usually represented in those mural or cave paintings that are found in spaces of great artistic and historical value, as would be the case of the Spanish Altamira Caves.
The rise of mural art took place in the Renaissance , with great exponents such as Raphael . Among the most famous murals are those he painted in the Vatican 's Sistine Chapel .
Many murals are displayed on public roads.
Ways to create a mural
There are various ways to create artistic murals . Many artists chose to paint on the walls, as is the case of the Mexican muralists David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera . Murals, however, can also be developed by adding pieces of ceramic or other materials to the wall (just as the Catalan Antoni Gaudí used to do).
Currently, one of the most frequent forms of mural art is graffiti . This technique consists of spray-painting urban walls, which often constitutes a crime (when painting on public walls or on walls that belong to private property without asking the owner's permission).
Other uses of the term
We cannot ignore the existence of what is known as a mural circle either. This is a term that is used in the field of astronomy to refer to a large circle, in terms of diameter, which has the peculiarity that it is graduated and that it has an eye in the center.
In the same way, there is the term mural crown . This is a circle of flowers or metal that was formerly awarded to those soldiers who showed great courage and bravery. Specifically, it was given to those who became the first to jump over the wall of the fortresses they attacked in order to enter to fight hard against the enemies.
However, within the field of heraldry, a mural crown is also used to refer to the one that is drawn and placed on top of the shields of various cities and towns, that is, the one that tops them.