Diego Rivera
A passionate painter and an equally passionate political activist, Diego Rivera's legacy lives on in dazzling murals that merge both. Born in Guanajuato, Mexico in 1886, Rivera traveled to Europe in 1907 to pursue a career in the arts. There, he lived in a lively artists' circle in Montparnasse, where he met Amedeo Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, and Max Jacob, among others. He was strongly influenced by Cubism, an influence he brought back with him when he returned to Mexico in 1921. His approach to painting shifted at this point, when he became a member of the emerging Mexican mural movement, a movement that included José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo among other talented painters. Rivera's work stood out by its focus on narrative, and its use of bold, brilliant colors. His political activity, reflected in the themes of his murals, extended outside the painterly sphere, and he became a friend and supporter of Trotsky in his Mexican exile. His artistic projects extended beyond the frontiers of Mexico, coming to the USA in the 30s; this work can still be seen today at the Detroit Institute of Arts in the 27 fresco panels entitled Detroit Industry. Even more famous, though, is a work that did not survive: his mural Man at the Crossroads, painted in 1933 for the Rockefeller Center in New York City, which was ordered demolished by Nelson Rockefeller, who objected to the depiction of Lenin as the mural's central subject. Undaunted, Rivera recreated the work in 1934 in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, altering its title to Man, Controller of the Universe. Rivera married, then divorced, then remarried Frida Kahlo - their partnership extended well beyond traditional conjugal bonds, enriching both of their artistic creations. Diego Rivera died in 1957, leaving behind him a legacy of rich and colorful murals that still speak powerfully to audiences today.
