Diego Rivera was a Mexican muralist born in 1886 who was influenced by cubism and post-impressionism during trips to Europe. In 1931, Rivera was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York to create portable murals and additional wall paintings using New York subjects. The themes of Rivera's murals for MoMA revolved around social revolution, inequality, and the working class conditions during the Great Depression. Some of the murals Rivera created for MoMA included Indian Warrior, Agrarian Leader Zapata, Uprising, and Man at the Crossroads.

1. DIEGO RIVERA:
Murals for The Museum of Modern Art
Farjana Miah

2. Background
• Dec. 8, 1886- Nov. 24, 1957 (Age 70)
• Wealthy middle class family
• Wife Frida Kahlo, fellow artist
• Influences on his future art work start when he goes to
Europe in 1907

3. cubism (1913-1917)
• Influences: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque
• Depth of field and realistic portrayal of light
Sailor at Lunch
(1914)
Portrait of Ilya Ehrenburg (1915)

4. Post impressionism
• Admired work of Paul Cézanne
• Use of simple forms and shapes
• Vibrant colors
• Thick paint application
• Real life subject (End settle on Realist style)

5. Renaissance fresco
• Italy – Da Vinci and Michelangelo
• Mural painting types
• Done on plasters on walls or ceilings
• National Palace in Mexico
City

6. COMISSIONED AT MoMA
• MoMA second monographic exhibition
• 6 weeks before Dec. 22, 1931, given studio space
• With 2 assistants, made 5 “portable murals”
• Additional 3 murals using NY subjects
• Themes revolved around revolution, social
inequity, and social conditions of urban working
class during great Depression

7. Indian warrior(1931)

8. Agrarian Leader Zapata
(1931)

9. Uprising (1931)

10. Man at Crossroads

11. Cont’d.

12. Frozen Assets

13. Sources
• http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=80682
• http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/rivera/rivera
s-ny.php
• http://www.diego-rivera.com/
• http://www.notablebiographies.com/Pu-Ro/Rivera-Diego.html
• http://www.google.com/search?q=diego+rivera&ie=utf-
8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-
a
• http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/rivera/intro.htm
• http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/riverainfo.shtm