Children Playing with Fire 1947

Rufino Tamayo made this painting, "Children Playing with Fire," with oil on canvas. Tamayo has layered the paint thickly, creating areas of texture that almost seem to glow. We can see the brushstrokes, moving in different directions to describe the forms of the children and the flames. The rough canvas peeks through in places, adding to the sense of immediacy. The palette is dominated by deep blacks and vibrant oranges and yellows, applied with a directness reminiscent of fresco painting, an ancient technique with roots in social and political expression. Tamayo was deeply interested in indigenous Mexican culture, and this painting perhaps reflects a concern with the social realities and primal energies within that context. Rather than presenting a polished surface, he leaves traces of the hand, reminding us of the labor involved in its creation. It invites us to consider the elemental forces at play, both in the image itself and in the world it represents.