Muralismo mexicain diego rivera biography

Rivera's work is not merely notable for its vibrant colors and intricate designs but also for its profound social and political messages, clearly articulating the struggles and triumphs of the working class. This article carefully examines the life and art of Diego Rivera, tracing his evolution as an artist from his early years to his legacy in contemporary society.

Born in the city of Guanajuato in Mexico, Rivera was the son of a well-educated teacher, and he was introduced to the arts at a very young age. His mother, a painter, encouraged his artistic endeavors, leading him to enroll at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City when he was just 10 years old. Rivera's early years were marked by an insatiable curiosity and a desire to understand the art movements of Europe, leading him to move to Paris as a young man.

In Paris, he encountered the works of the avant-garde, spending time with artists such as Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani. During this period, Rivera was heavily influenced by the principles of Cubism, which would inform his stylistic decisions in his early career. The political tumult and social upheaval he witnessed during the early 20th century deeply impacted his worldview.

Rivera became increasingly aware of the struggles faced by the working class, particularly in Mexico, and this awareness would color his later works. His commitment to the principles of Communism, which he adopted during this period, would resonate throughout his oeuvre and shape his future as a muralist. Upon returning to Mexico inRivera embarked on a monumental mission that would solidify his legacy as a leading muralist.

The Mexican Revolution in had ended, and the country was ripe for cultural rebirth. Rivera, in collaboration with other artists, sought to create murals that would reflect Mexican identity while addressing the societal issues that plagued the nation. Rivera accepted the offer and arrived in Madrid inaged 20, to study under the tutelage of Eduardo Chicharro.

Shortly after arriving in Madrid, Diego Rivera made his way to Paris and began living in Montparnasse along muralismo mexicain diego rivera biography several other American and European artists and writers. He also met Russian-born artist Angelina Beloff in Paris and went on to marry her in The couple had a son who died at the age of two.

During this period in Paris, young painters, led by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braquewere experimenting with a new art form that would come to be known as Cubism. Influenced by this new experimental wave of cubism, Rivera too embraced and practiced the new style for almost four years from tountil he became so inspired by the paintings of Paul Cezanne that he shifted his focus toward post-impressionism.

He began using simple forms and large patches of vivid colors in his paintings and slowly departed from the cubist style. It was during this period that his paintings began attracting some attention, opening up opportunities for him to display them at various exhibitions in Paris. InDiego Rivera left France and traveled across Italy, where he studied the great frescoes of the Renaissance.

Shortly thereafter, he returned to Mexico to get involved in the new government-sponsored Mexican mural program planned by Minister of Education Jose Vasconcelos. The program was funded by the Mexican government with the intention to reunify the country under the government after the Mexican revolution.

Muralismo mexicain diego rivera biography

The program encouraged artists to paint large murals on walls across the country containing political, social, and nationalistic messages, with the intention to promote and propagate ideas regarding the recently-concluded revolution so that people may realize how significant and pivotal the revolution was in Mexican history. Other artists such as Jean Charlot and Rufino Tamayo were also part of this initiative.

The murals, beginning from the s onward, were painted in many public settings such as schools, government buildings, chapels, etc. The atmosphere at the school was so politically charged that Rivera kept a pistol with him to protect himself from right-wing students. He was also involved with Russian painter Maria Vorobieff-Stebelska, with whom he also had a daughter he never recognized but took care of financially.

Inhe started painting his first mural in the auditorium of the National Preparatory School. Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central Museo Mural Diego Rivera collection. In the thirties, he was commissioned to paint several murals in the US, including the controversial one at Rockefeller Center. He was paid in advance to create a unique mural at the RCA building, but just when he was finishing it, his patrons got really angry because he had included Vladimir Lenin.

Rivera was also able to view influential works by Paul Gaugin and Henri Matisse, among others. Rivera had some success as a Cubist painter in Europe, but the course of world events would strongly change the style and subject of his work. Inspired by the political ideals of the Mexican Revolution and the Russian RevolutionRivera wanted to make art that reflected the lives of the working class and native peoples of Mexico.

He developed an interest in making murals during a trip to Italy, finding inspiration in the Renaissance frescos there. Returning to Mexico, Rivera began to express his artistic ideas about Mexico. He received funding from the government to create a series of murals about the country's people and its history on the walls of public buildings.

In the s and '40s, Rivera painted several murals in the United States. The artist had reportedly included Lenin in his piece to portray the turbulent political atmosphere at the time, which was largely defined by conflicting capitalist and socialist ideologies and escalating fears surrounding the Communist Party. The Rockefellers disliked Rivera's insertion of Lenin and, thusly, asked Rivera to remove the portrait, but the painter refused.

The Rockefellers then had Rivera stop work on the mural. InNelson Rockefeller famously ordered the demolition of "Man at the Crossroads. John D. Rockefeller Jr.