As stated in Wikipedia, Murals are paintings of any sort on a permanent surface such as a wall or ceiling.  Wall Murals have been around since prehistoric times.  Cave paintings can be considered primitive Wall Murals.  They have been discovered on nearly all the continents and the earliest date back to the Paleolithic Age 40,000 years ago.  Early Wall Murals are believed to be the work of important members of society.

With the artists of the Mexican Muralista art movement including Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco, and David Siqueiros, the term Mural became famous. Because of their size and the work involved in painting them, muralists are often commissioned by public or private funds.   Cities and public places are beautified with Wall Murals.

In modern society, Wall Murals have been painted in public places to make social or political statements. Famous Wall Murals in Belfast, New York, and Philadelphia have functioned effectively as a way of communicating among members of socially, racially, and ethnically divided communities, particularly in times of conflict.  There is said to be over 2,000 public Wall Murals dealing with political issues in Northern Ireland alone.

Totalitarian regimes often use Wall Murals as a means of propaganda and as a way to visually remind citizens of the importance of their government leaders. Saddam Hussein had many state-sponsored Wall Murals of himself during his reign as president of Iraq.

Some famous artists also known for Wall Murals include: Michelangelo, Claude Monet, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael.  Perhaps the most famous Wall Mural is The Last Supper in Milan, Italy.  It was painted around 1498 by Leonardo da Vinci.

Today, with the help of modern technology, graphic artists are able to generate images onto wallpaper material.  The Wall Murals are used as a creative way to decorate in private homes as well as offices.

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