David Alfaro Siqueiros (December 29, 1896 - January 6, 1974) was a Mexican painter and muralist. He was known for his social realist work, including many murals depicting Mexican history.

Siqueiros (see-KAY-ros) was not just an extraordinary painter, but a polemicist, a theoretician of art, a politician and a revolutionary. Siqueiros was a highly talented young man. He was mostly known as one of the most prolific muralist painters in the early 1900s. His art covered many vast walls and ceiling that reflected his engrossment in social problems in Mexico.

Siqueiros was compared and constrasted with other great Mexican artists during his life. There were another highly famous Mexican muralist in his time period; Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and Rufino Tamayo. His art directly reflected the time period in which he flourished as an artist. In order to fully grasp the meanings of his art, one would have to be fully aware of the history of Mexico.The peek of Siqueiros artist career occured during the Mexican revolution. A period in Mexican history in which much violence, confusion, and chaos took place. David Alfaro Siqueiros' art was deeply rooted in the Mexican revolution.

In studying the many periods in Siqueiros' life, one may get the impression that he has lived at least three different lives. This is said because of his political involvement. His life was filled with excessive amounts of travels, civil-responsibilities, events, and monumental works.

Political consideration was an important piece of Siqueiros' life. In fact in 1911, when he was only fifteen years old, Siqueiros attended the Academy of San Carlos and was greatly involved in a student strike. This was a protest against the academy's method of teaching and the impeachment of the school's director.One year later when he was just sixteen years old he conspired against Porfirio Diaz's ditatorship. Two years later, at the age of eighteen, he participated in the Constitutionalist Army fighting against the forces of general Victoriano Huerta. He was a very outgoing and revolutionary person, who diplayed excessive amounts of courage and talent.

David Alfaro Siqueiros was involved in muralist paintings in the United States. The most powerful and colorful mural in the U.S came from the hands of three polific artists. Siqueiros' hands were one set of them.

• Siqueiros on Artcyclopedia.com