The artist took part in a delegation to the Soviet Union in to celebrate the year anniversary of the October Revolution. While in Moscow, Rivera met Alfred H.
Barr, Jr. He also began work on a commissioned series of murals for the Palace of Cortez in Cuernavaca. American architect Timothy Pflueger brought the artist to San Francisco with the offer of some commissions.
Rivera's trip to California coincided with the first major showing of his work in the United States. Rivera painted three murals in San Francisco from to It is an epic undertaking of five frescoes. In , the artist and his wife headed east where a commission awaited at the Detroit Institute of Arts. There, he produced 27 panels collectively known as the "Detroit Industry Murals," depicting the evolution of the Ford Motor Company. Rivera considered this series, which he completed in with the help of assistants, to be one of his most successful projects.
His next undertaking would prove to be his most notorious failure. A figure stood at the center of the main fresco, and in the various sections surrounding him appeared scenes from science, industry, politics and history. To the right and left of center, giant statues of Jupiter and Caesar loomed. The Rockefellers took exception to the inclusion of Lenin in the mural. When Rivera refused to remove him, they canceled further work and had the mural destroyed.
Afterward, the artist would recreate the scene on a smaller scale in the Palace of Fine Arts upon his return to Mexico City, using photographs of the mural as a guide. A member of the Communist party, he created popular political murals throughout Mexico that often included attacks on the ruling class, the church and capitalism.
Studying in Paris meant Rivera was exposed to different painting styles and movements. Initially his work was heavily influenced by Cubism, and Rivera met the Cubist master, Pablo Picasso in Only a few years later his style changed. Inspired by the work of Cezanne he began to make Post-Impressionist paintings using simple shapes and vivid colors.
His work began to attract more attention and some was exhibited. Inspired by the political ideals of the Mexican Revolution and the Russian Revolution , Rivera 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.
In , Nelson Rockefeller famously ordered the demolition of "Man at the Crossroads. John D. Rockefeller Jr. It was for this reason primarily that Rockefeller Center decided to destroy it. The original work only existed in the form of black and white pictures, following which he repainted this work, naming it Man Controller of the Universe, which was similar to the original barring a few changes. Watermelons have a symbolic meaning in the Mexican festival the Day of the Dead, used for commemorating the deceased.
Rivera had perhaps made this painting in memory of his better half and coincidentally died a few days after that. Though the significance of the watermelon is unclear the bright use of colors gives it a lifelike appearance. It is simple yet elegant, and the usage of colors is minimum.
There is innocence on the face of the little boy as he stares contentedly. The gesture he forms by clasping his hands and the mature look in his eyes suggests him to be matured than his age. The big hat almost shields his face while his outfit indicates that he may be out to join his parents in the field. Rivera was a part of the avant-garde movement of Cubism, that reflected in many of his works, this being one among them. The Cubism technique of analyzing objects, breaking them up and abstractly reassembling them is seen in this painting.
However, after the earthquake that plagued the city of Mexico, the hotel was demolished, and the mural was kept at Museo Mural Diego Rivera.
0コメント