Diego Rivera a Mexican Painter and Muralist

I’VE NEVER BELIEVED IN GOD, BUT I BELIEVE IN PICASSO.  .- Diego Rivera

By Elizabeth H. Elys                                                                                                  December 8, 1886 was born in Mexico a famous artist and muralist Diego Rivera.

  

Mexico has a long tradition in visual arts, the painters Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Siqueros were the main propagators of Mexican Muralism.

Diego Rivera studied in the academy of San Carlos in Mexico City, a school for highly talented artists. Between 1920 and 1930 Mexico became a world center for art. Most artists during this time share the belief for revolution.

Rivera always managed to incorporate his political views and stand points or his Mexican backgrounds into his work, even his political views were controversial to the point of igniting riots and harsh criticism around the world. In 1920, Rivera was arrested in riot rebelling against Mexican president Porfirio Diaz. In 1922 he joined the Mexican Communist Party, his vision now more politically focused and dynamically rebellious.

In the late 1920’s the Mexican painter was expelled from Mexican Communist Party, because of his opposition to Stalin’s harsh discipline, knowing of his dealing with the Soviet Union and the limits pressed upon artists in communists countries.

Art has always had a long tradition of political messaging it’s important to remember that art has at times, and still is, at the forefront of political argument and philosophy. 

Diego Rivera painted the hardship of Mexican people. He painted the history of Mexico and showed the many injustices that occurred. The painter saw the Spanish, church, wealthy landowners, and capitalist as exploiters of his downtrodden people. He was a leader of the Mexican people; he inspired them to take pride in their heritage.

Diego Rivera’s charm, talent, exaggerated stories and his behavior, lead him to become known as the “Mexican Cowboy.” Rivera has painted portraits of famous writers like Martin Luis Guzman, who took part in the Mexican revolution, and spent time with Rivera in Paris. 

In 1929 the painter met and married Mexican surrealist Frida Kahlo. The two had a very rocky relationship; they separated and divorced briefly before getting back together and remarrying. Together were involved in political protests and workers groups. Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky even spent some living with Rivera and Kahlo, after Rivera had appealed to the Mexican president to give Trotsky political refuge. 

Diego Rivera work was heavily influenced by Cubism; in 1914 he met the Cubist master Pablo Picasso. Only a few years his style changed. When Diego Rivera painted Zapatista Landscape in 1915 it was mistaken by many critics to be a work of Picasso, who was a prominent painter of the time. Rivera spent 14 years in Europe studying modern art, including studying Renaissance work in Italy. Inspired by the work of Cezanne he began to make Post- Impressionist paintings using simple shapes and vivid colors. He was influenced by his historical roots in Mexico; Rivera wanted his art to encourage the world enough to change it. 

During an era of revolutions in both politics and technology, Rivera was one of the many inspired to create work that was socially radical at the time. His views of support for Communism, his outlook on Capitalism, and his portrayals of the industrial revolution around the world caught the attention and the eyes of entire nations. Rivera had become an icon for cultural transactions between North and Central America. His controversial art helped open the minds of Americans to be more culturally diverse and help see the different opinions and aspects to the world. When portraying himself, Rivera always was painting himself realistically with harsh modesty in all of his self-portraits. 

In 1933, Diego Rivera, a well-known social activist, was commissioned to execute the massive mural in New York City. (Man at the Cross Roads) he was hired by the Rockefellers family. Problems arose when Rivera featured a portrait of Vladimir I. Lenin on the murals, his patrons were not amused and his work was stopped and destroyed. Determined not to have his work censored, Rivera recreated the mural in Mexico on the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The Mural, retitled “Man Controller of the Universe” still on display today.

In 1957 River was disabled from painting when a blood clot developed in his right arm. On November 27, 1957 the painter and muralist died.