1. Diego Rivera
Painter & Muralist

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

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

10. 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.

11. National Preparatory School (Mexico City, 1921)

12. Palacio Nacional (History of Mexico, 1928-1929)

13. California School of Fine Arts (San Francisco,1931)

14. The American Stock Exchange Luncheon Club (1931)

15. Detroit Institute of the Arts (1932-1933)

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

17. City College (San Francisco, 1940)

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

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

20. Other Works

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