Diego Rivera (1886-1957, Mexico)
The Movement: Expressionism
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Movement originated in Germany on
the early 20th Century
Depicted not the objective reality but
rather the subjective emotions and
responses that objects and events
arouse in him
The search of harmony and forms is not
as important as trying to achieve the
highest expression intensity, both from
the aesthetic point of view and
according to idea and human critics.
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Developed in the early twentiethcentury mainly in Germany in reaction
to the dehumanizing effect of
industrialization and the growth of
cities
In 1905, two groups known as the
founding organization for the German
Expressionism were founded Die
Brücke (the Bridge) and Der Blaue
Reiter (The Blue Rider).
German Expressionism was continued
mostly by Non-german painters, due to
the political turmoil all over the world
Historical Context
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He was born in Guanajato, Mexico to a medium class Converso(his ancestors were force to
convert from Judaism to Catholicism) family
From the age of ten he studied art at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City. He was
sponsored to continue his studies in Europe (Spain, France and Italy)
While living from 1913-1917 in France he embraced the new school of art know as Cubism, but
around 1917 he shifted toward Post-Impressionism
In 1920 he travelled through Italy studying its art, including Renaissance frescoes
In 1921, he became involved with the Mexican mural program
In autumn of 1922, he joined the Mexican Communist Party and his murals painted in fresco
only, dealt with Mexican society and reflected the country’s 1910 Revolution.
Even though his work was quite controversial, he is regarded as the greatest Mexican artist of
the 20th century.
Rivera is credited with the reintroduction of fresco painting into modern art and architecture
and also he was the first modern artist to paint grand themes of the history and the future of
humanity. He strongly believed that art should be for the people and fresco painting on walls of
public building would provide the answer
Characteristics
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Solid, bulky and rounded figures
Folds in cloth are heavy and simple
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Use of fresco in later art works
Strong social messages
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Use of symbolism in his compositions
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Use of Mexican imagery
Jacques Lipchitz (Oil on canvas, 1914)
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Portrait of Jacques Lipchitz
Use of symbolism to depict his nationality(Serapes)
Near- monochromatic palette and gridded compositional structure
Use of multiple references
Incorporation of other artist ideas and artistic experience
Liberation of the Peon (Fresco, 1931)
 Use of narrative in his fresco(A laborer, beaten and
left to die, is cut down from a post by sympathetic
revolutionary soldiers)
 Contrast the ideas of tragic freedom and
revolutionary freedom
 Expresses tragic freedom as the moment of death,
when the peasant is finally released from his life of drudgery
and exploitation.
 Devotional imagery created during Mexico's colonial
period was often gory, emphasizing graphic violence and the
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wounds inflicted on Christ.
Rivera signals that the men who care for the peon's body are revolutionaries by wrapping them
in cartridge belts and equipping them with visible firearms.
Man at the Crossroad (Fresco, 1933)
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 Rivera's
composition depicted
many aspects of
contemporary social
and scientific culture.
 Between and
beyond the arcs were
scenes of modern
social life
Wealthy society women are seen playing cards and smoking at the left. Opposite, on the right,
Lenin is seen holding hands with a multi-racial group of workers.