Diego Rivera Painter & Muralist

A Brief Bio Born on December 8, 1886 in Guanajuato, Mexico Began drawing at an early age Attended elementary school during the day and art school at night Studied art in France, Spain, and Italy in the early 1900s After returning to Mexico, Rivera was hired by the Secretary of Public Education to paint murals on government buildings – to bring “art to the people” by decorating public places

Bio cont. Rivera’s work appealed to people’s interest in the history of technology and progress In the 1920s Rivera solidified his political beliefs and joined the Mexican Communist Party Died on November 24, 1957 in Mexico City at the age of 70

Fun Facts Real name: Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez Had a twin brother who died Rivera loved to draw so much as a child that his father covered the walls of his room in blackboard He learned how to read and write while recovering from scarlet fever and typhoid at age 8 As an adult Rivera was over 6 ft. tall and weighed over 300 lbs.

Fun Facts cont. Rivera married 4 times – his most famous wife was Frida Kahlo whom he married twice Rivera was diagnosed with cancer in 1955 but died of heart failure in 1957 His art studio (and Frida’s) and Anahuacalli are all now national museums Upon his death, Rivera wanted his ashes to mixed with Frida’s however the Mexcian government chose to inter his remains in the famous Fotunda of Illustrious Men in Mexico City

Communism Communism: is a political and economic system in which the major productive resources in a society—such as mines, factories, and farms—are owned by the public or the state, and wealth is divided among citizens equally or according to individual need. Rivera was very influenced by Soviet Communism and many of his works reflect this causing much controversy He was a member of the Mexican Communist Party and co-founded the Revolutionary Union of Technical Workers, Painters, and Sculptors Rivera was expelled from the Communist Party in 1929 because they felt his work for the Mexican government was in contradiction to the communist political beliefs

Controversy Rivera’s communist views and beliefs often showed up in his artwork as a result many felt his paintings were too controversial Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, had to fight conservative groups to keep Rivera’s mural at the Detroit Institute of Arts because they felt it was “unpatriotic” and “Communistic” Rivera’s mural “Man at the Crossroads” at the Rockefeller Center was never finished because Diego insisted upon putting in the image of Vladimir Lenin - it was later destroyed anonymously Diego had the last laugh – he recreated the mural, as he liked it, at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City

Diego & Frida Diego met Frida Kahlo in 1928 when she was a promising art student Frida was 20 years younger than Rivera They married at year later and had a very tumultuous relationship Diego and Frida divorced in 1939 and remarried in 1940 Frida died in 1954

Diego & Frida cont. “I realized the most wonderful part of my life had been my love for Frida.” – Diego Rivera

Styles of Painting / Mediums Cubism: a style of art that stresses abstract structure at the expense of other pictorial elements especially by displaying several aspects of the same object simultaneously and by fragmenting the form of depicted objects (Wall) Frescoes: mural paintings done on fresh plaster – applying paint to wet plaster Murals: large paintings taking up entire walls, sides of buildings, etc.

National Preparatory School (Mexico City, 1921)

Palacio Nacional (History of Mexico, 1928-1929)

California School of Fine Arts (San Francisco,1931)

The American Stock Exchange Luncheon Club (1931)

Detroit Institute of the Arts (1932-1933)

The RCA building in Rockefeller Center (New York City, 1933-1934) / Palace of Fine Arts (Mexico City, 1934)

City College (San Francisco, 1940)

Anahuacalli (1941) Aztec-style pyramid designed to house Rivera’s large collection of pre-Hispanic Mexican art

Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park (Hotel del Prado, 1947)

Other Works

I’ve never believed in God, but I believe in Picasso. ~ Diego Rivera ~