Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera is well-known worldwide for his unique artistic accomplishments. He was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, in 1886 and died on November 24, 1957. He was recognized for painting murals and was commissioned by numerous organizations, schools, and programs in Mexico and the United States. He married several times, including the famous Frida Kahlo. Rivera’s history-making artwork reflected his political views, Mexico’s historical scenes, and the workers’ social conditions. Image

Rivera studied at the San Carlos Academy of Fine Arts and traveled to Europe; he returned to Mexico after spending a decade in Paris (1909-1919). Diego Rivera joined a Mexican Mural Program initiated by the education minister of Mexico‌. Mexican frescoes by Diego Rivera helped educate the illiterate nation about the country’s history.  Rivera, a communist, clearly expressed his views of social inequality in capitalism. He presents his work as a billboard to move his audience to the hardship of the Mexican working class.

Let’s now look keenly at the most famous work of the leading muralist of the twentieth century. 

A thought-provoking fresco of Rivera is present in the Palace of Fine Arts, located in Mexico. The pictured fresco came into being in the 1930s. The mural depicts humankind’s future hold by presenting the power of man in the depths of space knowledge and microscopic studies. Moreover, the mural brings the hint of a politically tough time.

Man Controller of the Universe

Diego Rivera’s mural Man at the Crossroads/Man, Controller of the Universe, not only depicts the hold of the future but also reveals a sense of unity; It depicts man’s emergence into a new scientific and industrial age. Men in the mural from all casts, colors, and ethnicities are taking part in gaining knowledge and being able to work unitedly toward a secure future. This fresco reveals new layers of in-depth meanings whenever viewed.

The original version of Man, Controller of the Universe by Diego Rivera was commissioned in 1932 by billionaire Nelson Rockefeller; the fresco was erased when R Rockefeller objected to Vladimir Lennon being in the Mural.

The Flower Seller, 1942

The flower seller is another recurring theme of Diego Rivera. Belong are two examples of a long series of works representing a flower-bearing portrait.

A barefoot, working-class young girl in a typical dress gathers Calla lilies while her long dark braids on her back show the viewers she is unmarried. Calla lilies have been a muse for Rivera, representing Mexican flora’s wealth. Diego Rivera’s political art brings out a bitter reality of ordinary people’s hard work done with dignity and pride. Rivera completed this flower-representing painting of a young woman in 1940.

The other painting shows the whole family collecting and selling flowers. The image has clean, vivid colors, well-groomed people working without complaint, and the mother has overloaded the children’s helping. But why is the male figure hidden? The painting emphasizes the Mexican women, the mother’s strength, and the homemaker.

Flower Carrier.

Diego Rivera has depicted several paintings of Flower carriers and Flower sellers. The flower carrier, a subject he started as early as 1925, presents Diego Rivera’s way of paying respects and homage to the lifestyles of the Mexican working class and the hardships of earning wages.

It ‌is one of Diego Rivera’s most delightful artworks. An honorable man in white with a yellow sombrero is on his knees, trying hard to carry the weight of the basket of flowers. A woman, probably his wife, is there to help him lift the load. By presenting this marvelous painting, Rivera pays homage to the flower bearer and displays respect for their hard work.

Creation, 1922- 1923

The creation is a mural by Diego Rivera, made in 1922, in the Simón Bolívar Amphitheater of the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City. The mural is the first mural of Diego Rivera on his return to MexicCreationo of Creation, which is present in the Bolivar auditorium of Nation Preparatory School. The hall was called the most symbolic place in the institute.

Diego Rivera was the first choice of the management to paint the mural. The fresco portrays the birth of the Mexican people emerging from the Tree of Life. The Creation comprises up to one thousand square feet on the wall. Rivera started painting the mural in early 1922 and ended up in 1933. The provocative mural of Rivera presents the concepts of miscegenation and religious imagery. He continuously had to guard himself while painting the mural by right-winged students.

The Detroit Industry Murals, 1932- 1933

The Detroit Industry murals are 27 panels representing the industry at Ford Motor Company. The murals were painted between 1932 and 1933 and were considered the most complex and successful work of Diego Rivera. Rivera painted these murals between 1932 – 1933. The two dominant panels depict the hard work of laborers and advancements in scientific fields, such as medicine and technology. The arts by Rivera interpret the coexistence of life and death and contribute to the sense of duality of spiritual and physical beliefs. The perspective of workers was the central theme of frescoes. The other side of the murals brings the dual presence of nature and technology.

Agrarian Leader Zapata, 1931

Another classical painting of Rivera presents the portrait of a Mexican revolutionary hero, Emiliano Zapata. Diego painted the revolutionary hero he admired after 12 years of his death in 1931. The purpose of the painting is to reveal the bravery-provoking intentions of Diego Rivera. The dress, style, and class of a horseman, Zapata, consistently made him countable in the lifted class in Mexico. The solo painting is one of the larger mural cycles by Diego Rivera made earlier in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Frozen Assets, 1931- 1932

In three scenes presenting the painting, Diego Rivera admired New York architecture and criticized its economic inequality. The first part shows the tall buildings belonging to the developed class. The middle of the painting shows rows of people sleeping freely because of extra growth in such an economic disaster.
People might have died due to hunger. The last part shows the waiting area of a bank and people outside waiting to be served. The dull colors of the painting uncover the dim life of New York because of the terrible economic times. The portrait is available at the Museum of Modern Art MoMA in New York.

Final word.

These were the 7 Most famous Artworks in a significant body of works by Diego Rivera. His political views caused him a lot of trouble; artist Frida Khalo and his wife were dedicated to the communist party. He will be mostly remembered for his involvement with the Mexican Revolution and his murals portraying the human condition. If you ever visit Mexico, stop by El Palacio de Bellas Artes.

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