Diego Rivera's 'Creation' mural is a masterpiece that adorns the walls of San Ildefonso College in Mexico City. Rivera had claimed that he made this mural with half beeswax and copal varnish. However, in a study published in ACS Omega, researchers from Mexico conducted a detailed chemical analysis to determine the real materials of the mural.
The analyses revealed no trace of beeswax in the mural. Contrary to Rivera's claim, the main binder of the mural was identified as copal varnish. This shows that the mural was still made with an encaustic technique, as the definition of encaustic depends on the application method rather than the material.
The study provides an important reference point for the preservation of the mural. Researchers emphasize the need for future studies to further examine the distribution of materials in the mural and the effects of heat application.