David Alfaro Siqueiros, New Democracy, 1944

Although the two giant murals by Diego Rivera that flank this massive work in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City are better-known than this mural by Siqueiros, and despite the inherent hurdle that the ideal viewing point for the painting is from the opposite side of a large atrium, none of this detracts from the sheer force of the artist's vision. Democracy-as-woman is strong, vibrant and capable, but she is also under constant siege from powerful forces that invariably try to limit the ability of the people to employ their right to choose who will rule in their name. If democracy isn't protected, civilization cannot advance.