Skip to main content

Diego Rivera Art

Mexican, 1886-1957

Known all over the world for his colossal murals, Diego Rivera was one of the leading artists of the 20th century. The Guanajuato, Mexico-born painter’s works adorn the interiors of many public buildings throughout his native country, including the Cortés Palace in Cuernavaca, the National School of Agriculture in Chapingo and the Ministry of Public Education in Mexico City. (Rivera’s family moved to Mexico City in 1892, and he later lived and worked in Mexico’s capital with his third wife, fellow Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.) 

Rivera expressed Mexican national identity like no one before him. He developed his own style of Cubism, reintroduced fresco painting as a major discipline and was a pioneer of Mexican Muralism. Rivera’s artworks have had a significant impact on the international art world.  

At the age of 10 Rivera received a scholarship to study at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City. When he was 21, the governor of Veracruz provided the artist with a grant to study in Europe. He began his studies abroad in Spain, but ended up settling in Paris in 1909, where he befriended Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and esteemed French painter Georges Braque. Picasso's Cubist paintings were an inspiration for him — in his own work, Rivera adopted elements of Cubism, a revolutionary art movement for European culture. The painter later developed an admiration for the work of Postimpressionist artists such as Cézanne, but Renaissance paintings — and Italian frescoes, generally — had a monumental influence on the work that followed.

In 1921, Rivera returned to Mexico to work with social realist painter David Alfaro Siqueiros. In the wake of the Mexican revolution, they shared a vision of turning the interior of public buildings into a canvas for exploring concepts associated with national identity and to express sympathy for the revolution.

In 1930, Rivera traveled to the United States, where he examined modern industry and issues facing the working class in commissioned pieces at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, the Detroit Institute of Arts and Rockefeller Center in New York City. For the latter, Rivera’s Man at the Crossroads outraged his sponsors owing to its expression of leftist sentiment — it featured a portrait of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin. 

After Rivera refused to remove Lenin from the fresco in the lobby of the RCA building in Rockefeller Center, the artist’s sponsors had the work destroyed. Rivera later repainted the composition in a mural in Mexico, relying on photographs by Lucienne Bloch — his unpaid assistant on the Rockefeller project — that she had covertly taken before the painting was destroyed.

It was the suggestions of artist George Biddle, who had studied with Rivera and was influenced by the Mexican Muralists movement, that helped lay the groundwork for the Public Works of Art Project, which was included as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal.

When Rivera died in 1957 he left unfinished a grandiose mural on the history of Mexico for the National Palace in Mexico City.

Find original Diego Rivera paintings and prints on 1stDibs.

to
1
2
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
4
2
2
1
3
1
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
4
2
4
10,179
2,809
2,503
1,398
2
2
2
Artist: Diego Rivera
Desnudo de Frida Kahlo, Signed Lithograph by Diego Rivera
Desnudo de Frida Kahlo, Signed Lithograph by Diego Rivera

Desnudo de Frida Kahlo, Signed Lithograph by Diego Rivera

By Diego Rivera

Located in Long Island City, NY

This portrait depicts Rivera's second wife, the artist Frida Kahlo (1907-54), sitting on a bed wearing stockings and shoes and fastening rows of beads around her neck. An accident wh...

Category

1930s Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

Circa 1955 travel poster by the Mexican artist Diego Rivera - Mexico
Circa 1955 travel poster by the Mexican artist Diego Rivera - Mexico

Circa 1955 travel poster by the Mexican artist Diego Rivera - Mexico

By Diego Rivera

Located in PARIS, FR

The circa 1955 travel poster created by the renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera, promoting Mexico - Décoration murale Palais National, was issued by the National Tourism Office of M...

Category

1950s Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Diego Rivera Modernist Lithograph, 1930, Signed, Framed, El Mercado De Flores
Diego Rivera Modernist Lithograph, 1930, Signed, Framed, El Mercado De Flores

Diego Rivera Modernist Lithograph, 1930, Signed, Framed, El Mercado De Flores

By Diego Rivera

Located in Washington, DC

Artist: Diego Rivera Title: El Mercado De Flores (Flower Market) Medium: Lithograph Date: 1930 Edition: 60/100 Framed Size: 24 5/8" x 28 5/8" Sheet Size: 19" x 24 1/2" Image Size: 1...

Category

1930s Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

1952 Original exhibition poster realized by Diego Rivera Mexican Art
1952 Original exhibition poster realized by Diego Rivera Mexican Art

1952 Original exhibition poster realized by Diego Rivera Mexican Art

By Diego Rivera

Located in PARIS, FR

Very beautiful poster of exhibition realized by Diego Rivera in order to promote the exhibition "Mexican Art, from pre-Columbian to our days", which took place in 1952 in the National Museum of Modern Art. Diego Rivera was a leading Mexican painter. His large frescoes...

Category

1950s Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Related Items
From the Vargas Portfolio
From the Vargas Portfolio

From the Vargas Portfolio

By Alberto Vargas

Located in Missouri, MO

From the Vargas Portfolio **Portfolio Cover Not Included** Lithograph Only Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1896, the son of...

Category

20th Century Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

Meditation and Minou
Meditation and Minou

Meditation and Minou

By Will Barnet

Located in Buffalo, NY

Artist: Will Barnet, American (1911 - 2012) Title: Meditation and Minou Year: 1980 Medium: Lithograph and Serigraph on BFK Rives, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 40/150

Category

1970s American Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Lithograph

Standing nude, Gustav Klimt Handzeichnungen (Sketch), Thyrsos Verlag, 1922
Standing nude, Gustav Klimt Handzeichnungen (Sketch), Thyrsos Verlag, 1922

Standing nude, Gustav Klimt Handzeichnungen (Sketch), Thyrsos Verlag, 1922

By (after) Gustav Klimt

Located in Chicago, IL

Original collotype lithograph of a figure drawing from Gustav Kilmt’s handzeichnungen (sketch) in 1922 by Thyrsos Verlag, Leipzig and Vienna, in an edition of 375. This artwork is pr...

Category

1920s Vienna Secession Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

“Untitled” (from the Lezard aux Plumes d’Or series)
“Untitled” (from the Lezard aux Plumes d’Or series)

“Untitled” (from the Lezard aux Plumes d’Or series)

By Joan Miró

Located in Southampton, NY

Colored lithograph on archival paper by Joan Miro. Part of the “Lizard with the Golden Feathers series. Signed in pencil “Miro” lower right. “H.C.” lower left. (See details below) ...

Category

1970s Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Lithograph

Jean Cocteau - The Voice - Original Lithograph
Jean Cocteau - The Voice - Original Lithograph

Jean Cocteau - The Voice - Original Lithograph

By Jean Cocteau

Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH

Original Lithograph by Jean Cocteau Title: The Voice Signed in the plate Dimensions: 32 x 25.5 cm Edition: 200 1959 Publisher: Bibliophiles Du Palais Unnumbered as issued

Category

1950s Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

From the Vargas Portfolio
From the Vargas Portfolio

From the Vargas Portfolio

By Alberto Vargas

Located in Missouri, MO

From the Vargas Portfolio **Portfolio Cover Not Included** Lithograph Only Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1896, the son of...

Category

20th Century Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

Original Op Art Abstract Color Screenprint "Planetary Folklore" Signed #2/250
Original Op Art Abstract Color Screenprint "Planetary Folklore" Signed #2/250

Original Op Art Abstract Color Screenprint "Planetary Folklore" Signed #2/250

By Victor Vasarely

Located in Portland, OR

A Op Art abstract color screenprint, "Planetary Folklore" 1968, by Victor Vasarely (1906-1997). This very striking work by Vasarely is comprised of various colorful geometric shapes, the work is signed lower right "Vasarely" and numbered lower left "2/250. This is an early and crisp impression in excellent condition and housed under glass in a gilt & silvered hardwood frame. This very eye-catching work by one of the 20th century's leading Op artists is ready to hang on your wall. 14" x 14.50" at sight without frame Numered 2/250 A Franco-Hungarian painter, Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) first studied medicine before turning to art. In Budapest, he frequented artists from the Hungarian Bauhaus...

Category

1960s Op Art Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph, Handmade Paper, Color, Screen

Jean Cocteau - Olé - Original Lithograph
Jean Cocteau - Olé - Original Lithograph

Jean Cocteau - Olé - Original Lithograph

By Jean Cocteau

Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH

Jean Cocteau - Olé - Original Lithograph 1934 Signed and dated in the plate Numbered in pencil Edition : /200 Dimensions: 50 x 33 cm Provenance : Succession Dermit, Cocteau's heir

Category

1930s Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

Undergarment Model (1970s Gay Bathhouse Jockstrap Ad)
Undergarment Model (1970s Gay Bathhouse Jockstrap Ad)

Undergarment Model (1970s Gay Bathhouse Jockstrap Ad)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Vintage jockstrap ad poster, 1975. Offset lithograph on paper measures 18.5 x 12.75 inches. Copyright Winifred Bonney. Original offset period print on perio...

Category

1970s Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Offset

From the Vargas Portfolio
From the Vargas Portfolio

From the Vargas Portfolio

By Alberto Vargas

Located in Missouri, MO

From the Vargas Portfolio **Portfolio Cover Not Included** Lithograph Only Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1896, the son of...

Category

20th Century Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

From the Vargas Portfolio
From the Vargas Portfolio

From the Vargas Portfolio

By Alberto Vargas

Located in Missouri, MO

From the Vargas Portfolio **Portfolio Cover Not Included** Lithograph Only Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1896, the son of...

Category

20th Century Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

Previously Available Items
"Struggle and Fraternity" Symbolic Lithograph by Diego Rivera
"Struggle and Fraternity" Symbolic Lithograph by Diego Rivera

"Struggle and Fraternity" Symbolic Lithograph by Diego Rivera

By Diego Rivera

Located in Pasadena, CA

Diego Rivera (1886–1957) was one of the founders of the Mexican muralist movement. After an extended stay in Europe, he returned to Mexico in 1921 and took on a full involvement in t...

Category

Mid-20th Century Symbolist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

Original travel poster by Diego Rivera -  Mexico Mural of national Palace
Original travel poster by Diego Rivera -  Mexico Mural of national Palace

Original travel poster by Diego Rivera - Mexico Mural of national Palace

By Diego Rivera

Located in PARIS, FR

This striking mid-century travel poster celebrates the cultural richness of Mexico through the unmistakable art of Diego Rivera, one of the most influential muralists of the 20th cen...

Category

1950s Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Delfina y Dimas by Diego Rivera
Delfina y Dimas by Diego Rivera

Delfina y Dimas by Diego Rivera

By Diego Rivera

Located in New Orleans, LA

Diego Rivera 1886-1957 Mexican Delfina y Dimas Signed and dated 1935 Tempera on masonite In the intimate masterwork Delfina y Dimas, the great Diego Rivera illustrates all of his...

Category

20th Century Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Masonite, Tempera

Vendedora By Diego Rivera
Vendedora By Diego Rivera

Diego RiveraVendedora By Diego Rivera, 1937

Sold

H 26.88 in W 22.5 in D 2 in

Vendedora By Diego Rivera

By Diego Rivera

Located in New Orleans, LA

Diego Rivera 1886-1957 Mexican Vendedora (Vendor) Signed and dated (lower right) Watercolor on rice paper Diego Rivera stands among the most important artists of the 20th century...

Category

20th Century Post-Impressionist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Watercolor, Rice Paper

Niño Indígena Con Pelota By Diego Rivera
Niño Indígena Con Pelota By Diego Rivera

Niño Indígena Con Pelota By Diego Rivera

By Diego Rivera

Located in New Orleans, LA

Diego Rivera 1886-1957 Mexican Niño Indígena con Pelota (Indigenous Boy with a Ball) Signed and dated Oil on board A rebel against the traditional school of painting, Diego River...

Category

20th Century Post-Impressionist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Tehuana con Batea by Diego Rivera
Tehuana con Batea by Diego Rivera

Diego RiveraTehuana con Batea by Diego Rivera, 1922

Sold

H 20.5 in W 15.38 in D 1.38 in

Tehuana con Batea by Diego Rivera

By Diego Rivera

Located in New Orleans, LA

Diego Rivera 1886-1957 Mexican Tehuana con batea Signed “D Rivera” (lower right) Graphite on cream wove paper A rebel against the traditional school of painting, Diego Rivera is revered as one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century. Tehuana con batea, completed by Rivera in 1922, represents a glimpse into the artist’s process through a powerful graphite-on-paper sketch. Rivera’s thoughtful marks outline a Tehuana — a woman from the isthmus of Tehuantepec and likely a descendant of the Zapotec indigenous peoples. The woman is rendered with a kind of totemic solidity, accented by the block-like forms of her clothing and the strength of her stance. Her arms reach upwards as she carries a basket atop her head. Although highly stylized, the work retains a narrative element that was important to the artist’s output — telling the stories of the native peoples of Mexico. Composed in 1922, this drawing dates from a pivotal moment in the artist’s career. It marked the painting of his first significant mural, Creation, in the Bolívar Auditorium of the National Preparatory School in Mexico City, the first of many government-sponsored murals he would undertake over the next three decades. Later in the year, Rivera founded the Revolutionary Union of Technical Workers, Painters and Sculptors, and joined the Mexican Communist Party. The public mural projects reflected his communist politics in historical contexts. Aside from the often-controversial reactions they received, these works focused on the working-class “everyman” of Mexico and reflected the folk ideals that were familiar and respected within the native community. In addition to the rarity of this plaque due to its unique perspective, Tehuana con batea has a notable provenance, having been owned by celebrated Museum of Modern Art staff member Patricia Dowd Whitman. Remembered fondly for building relationships with donors and artists including Dorothea Rockburne and Tom Otterness over her thirty-three years at the institution, she served as Director of the Contemporary Arts Council at MoMA from 1990 until her retirement in 2007. A remarkable drawing with provenance, Tehuana con batea is one-of-a-kind. Born in Guanajuato City, Mexico in 1886, Diego Rivera showed a talent for drawing at a very young age. He began his formal art education at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico. When he moved to Paris in 1907 to live and work with the great gathering of artists in Montparnasse, he was exposed to the burgeoning of Cubism, and fully embraced this new school of thought. His works attracted the attention of the world’s most prestigious art patrons, including Nelson Rockefeller, for whom he painted a controversial mural in 1934. While both his personal and artistic lives were at times tumultuous, it is his artistic vision and compassion for his homeland and people that have formed the legacy of this incredible figure. Created 1922 Paper: 12 7/8" high x 8 3/8" wide Frame: 20 1/2" high x 15 3/8" wide x 1 3/8" deep Provenance: Mary-Anne Martin Fine...

Category

20th Century Post-Impressionist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper, Graphite

SELF PORTRAIT  / AUTORETRATO
SELF PORTRAIT  / AUTORETRATO

SELF PORTRAIT / AUTORETRATO

By Diego Rivera

Located in Santa Monica, CA

DIEGO RIVERA (1886 – 1957) AUTORETRATO / SELF PORTRAIT, 1930 Lithograph. signed and numbered 14/100 by the artist in pencil. Image 15 x 11 ¼”. Full sheet 20 1/8 x 15” with deckle edges on all four sides. Very good condition save for an expertly repaired vertical tear at top of sheet and a small blue ink smudge on the verso. Rivera’s lithographs are scarce. He only produced 10. They were all published by Weyhe Gallery, NY, then led by Carl Zigrosser. Five were published in 1930 and five in 1932. This example is 1930. Beginning in 1930 Rivera produced a series of monumental mural...

Category

1930s Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

Niño by Diego Rivera
Niño by Diego Rivera

Diego RiveraNiño by Diego Rivera, 1935

Sold

H 19.25 in W 16.88 in D 0.75 in

Niño by Diego Rivera

By Diego Rivera

Located in New Orleans, LA

Diego Rivera 1886-1957 Mexican Niño Signed and dated “Diego Rivera 1935” (lower left) Charcoal and sanguine on rice paper A rebel against the traditional school of painting, Diego Rivera is revered as one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century. Niño, completed by Rivera in 1935, represents a masterwork within an important part of the artist’s output — his portraits of children. It is a touching work paying homage to both childhood innocence and the cultural identity of the Mexican people...

Category

20th Century Post-Impressionist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Charcoal, Rice Paper

1997 Diego Rivera 'The Flower Vendor' Modernism USA Offset Lithograph

1997 Diego Rivera 'The Flower Vendor' Modernism USA Offset Lithograph

By Diego Rivera

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Paper Size: 35.75 x 25 inches ( 90.805 x 63.5 cm ) Image Size: 28.75 x 24 inches ( 73.025 x 60.96 cm ) Framed: No Condition: A-: Near Mint, very light signs of handling Shipp...

Category

1990s Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Offset

2001 Diego Rivera 'Flower Vendor' Modernism USA Offset Lithograph

2001 Diego Rivera 'Flower Vendor' Modernism USA Offset Lithograph

By Diego Rivera

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Paper Size: 30 x 24 inches ( 76.2 x 60.96 cm ) Image Size: 25.5 x 21 inches ( 64.77 x 53.34 cm ) Framed: No Condition: A-: Near Mint, very light signs of handling Additional De...

Category

Early 2000s Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Offset

1997 Diego Rivera 'The Flower Vendor' Modernism USA Offset Lithograph

1997 Diego Rivera 'The Flower Vendor' Modernism USA Offset Lithograph

By Diego Rivera

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Paper Size: 35.75 x 25 inches ( 90.805 x 63.5 cm ) Image Size: 28.75 x 24 inches ( 73.025 x 60.96 cm ) Framed: No Condition: A-: Near Mint, very light signs of handling Shipp...

Category

1990s Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Offset

1997 Diego Rivera 'Delfina Flores and Her Niece Modesta' Modernism USA Offset

1997 Diego Rivera 'Delfina Flores and Her Niece Modesta' Modernism USA Offset

By Diego Rivera

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Paper Size: 23.5 x 17.5 inches ( 59.69 x 44.45 cm ) Image Size: 23.5 x 17.5 inches ( 59.69 x 44.45 cm ) Framed: No Condition: A-: Near Mint, very light signs of handling Ship...

Category

1990s Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Offset

Diego Rivera art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Diego Rivera art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of yellow and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Diego Rivera in lithograph, charcoal, offset print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Diego Rivera art, so small editions measuring 11 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Jose Clemente Orozco, Miguel Conde, and Francisco Toledo. Diego Rivera art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $75 and tops out at $98,500, while the average work can sell for $16,500.
Questions About Diego Rivera Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    Diego Rivera's style of art was Cubism. However, the Mexican artist developed his own distinctive version of the style. In 1909, he settled in Paris, where he befriended the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and esteemed French painter Georges Braque, both of whom were pioneers of Cubism. Rivera built on their work, creating works in bright colors and varying the thickness of paint to produce bold textural effects. In addition to his experimentation with Cubism, Rivera also worked in the social realism style later in his career. On 1stDibs, explore a variety of Diego Rivera art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Yes, Diego Rivera did 20 self-portraits during the course of his life. However, his wife, Frida Kahlo, produced one of the best-known depictions of the artist in her painting Diego and I, which depicts him with a third eye. You'll find a variety of Diego Rivera art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 16, 2024
    You can see Diego Rivera's paintings in many places. His work is in the collections of museums across the world, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Museo Mural Diego Rivera in Mexico City and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy. In addition, you can view the artist's murals in many of their original locations, including the City Club in San Francisco and the Detroit Institute of Arts. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Diego Rivera art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Some of Mexican painter Diego Rivera’s large murals can be seen today in Mexico City, Detroit, and San Francisco, and his paintings are displayed in numerous museums across Mexico and the United States. Shop a selection of Diego Rivera paintings from top art dealers on 1stDibs.