A key artist of the 20th century Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera: master of muralism and visionary of social change

The Schoelkopf Gallery in New York is exhibiting two children's portraits by him until April. Thus, it offers a current window to look back at the genius of Mexican muralism and review its influence on art and society.

The painter Diego Rivera (1886-1957) was a central figure in the movement known as “Mexican muralism,” whose main quest was to use art to transmit social and political messages. His murals, crossed by history, politics, culture and class struggle, were deeply implanted in the perception of art by the Latin American public. And, in the same way that artists like Antonio Berni did in Argentina, they brought the voice of the helpless to a much broader audience, from diverse cultures.
Despite the fact that, due to the influence of his work and his relationship with Frida Kahlo, his wife, with whom he lived a torrid and complex relationship, these days he is once again in the news. For what reason? The fact is that two children's portraits that bear his signature and that are located in the period after the Mexican Revolution (which was, in the end, decisive for Rivera's work) are on view until April 5 at the Schoelkopf gallery in New York after remaining for many years as part of private collections.

Specifically, the works are “Boy” and “Girl sitting with rebozo”, both from 1929. They had been part of the 1931 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and in its retrospective at the Palace of Fine Arts, in 1949. The possibility of reviewing these works first-hand is a possibility of great value for the universe of art.

Rivera's aesthetics
Rivera developed a unique style that combined influences from pre-Columbian art, Italian Renaissance, and socialist realism. This last aesthetic doctrine, which emerged in the Soviet Union after the revolution of 17, aimed to represent reality in accordance with the principles of Marxism-Leninism and place the axis on the aspirations of the worker. Rivera, who absorbed pre-Columbian art through his own origins and met the Renaissance artists on his trips to Europe, was instead a contemporary of the artistic trend that prevailed in the USSR for much of the last century.
Rivera's works are characterized by a dynamic composition and the presence of monumental figures. Additionally, he particularly excelled in the use of the fresco technique, which involves painting on wet plaster. This meant that his murals, generally large-scale, could have exceptional durability.

The Mexican painter believed in the accessibility of art for everyone, he rejected the idea that it was reserved for the elites. Hence, his vocation with public art has manifested itself through his participation in mural projects that converted urban spaces into true open-air art galleries that could be enjoyed by anyone. This idea of democratizing art awakened vocations in artists and movements throughout America, which united in the premise of taking art beyond the constraints imposed by museums and galleries.