Mexico
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Gerardo Murillo (Dr. Atl)
Guadalajara (Jalisco), Mexico
Archival Overview
Mexican painter and volcanologist who adopted the Nahuatl name 'Dr. Atl' (Water), father of modern Mexican landscape painting and mentor to Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros.
Biographical Record
Gerardo Murillo (1875–1964) abandoned his Spanish surname to adopt the Nahuatl name Dr. Atl, symbolizing cultural indigenism. He invented 'Atl-colors'—resinous dry crayons made of wax, resin, and pigment—allowing artists to paint on any surface with extraordinary chromatic intensity.
Obsessed with Mexican volcanoes, Atl climbed Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl hundreds of times and documented the miraculous 1943 birth and eruption of the Paricutin volcano from a wooden hut on its slopes, producing hundreds of incandescent volcanic canvases despite having a leg amputated.
Key Life Milestones
Exhibition of Mexican Artists
Organized the independent centenary art exhibition that catalyzed the Mexican muralist movement.
Publication of 'How a Volcano Is Born and Grows'
Published his monograph documenting the decade-long eruption of Paricutin volcano.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialMexico City, Mexico