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
8
2
10
8
3
3
1
Open Air School (iconic image of indigenous teacher by Mexican muralist)
By Diego Rivera
Located in New Orleans, LA
An indigenous teacher, surrounded by her multi-generational students, sits at the edge of a field, open book in hand. In the distance, we see campesinos working the fields with their horses. A lone, armed horseman watches over the class, locating the lithograph in its historical setting, the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution...
Category

1930s Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

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

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
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

Framed Portrait Drawing Nino by Diego Rivera with Paperwork
By Diego Rivera
Located in Atlanta, GA
Artist: Diego Rivera (Mexican; 1886-1957) Title: Nino Medium: Color pencils, charcoal, work on paper Year: 1934 Image size: 11.25" x 17.5" A framed drawing on paper by celebrated Mex...
Category

1930s Mexican Modern Vintage Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper

Pair framed vintage print of drawings by Diego Rivera
By Diego Rivera
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of vintage prints of Diego Rivera's drawings of indigenous Mexican children. Framed on linen board in a pair of period frame. In print sign...
Category

1940s Mexican Modern Vintage Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Wood, Paper

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

Lithograph, Paper

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

Mexican Girl Returning from the Market
By Diego Rivera
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
Signed & dated: lower right 1954 Diego Rivera (Mexican, (1886 - 1957) Mexican Girl Returning from the Market Watercolor on paper, behind glass 11 x 16” Signed and dated lower right,...
Category

1950s Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Portrait of Enriqueta G. Dávila
By Diego Rivera
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A painting by Diego Rivera. "Portrait of Enriqueta G. Dávila" is a modern portrait, oil on canvas in a palette of whites, browns, purples, and reds by Mexican artist Diego Rivera. The artwork is signed in the lower left, "Diego Rivera" and dated and inscribed in the upper center, "Señora Doña Enriqueta G. de Dávila. Fue pintado el año de MCMLII". Think of artists from Mexico...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Related Items
MARC CHAGALL "Le joueur de flûte"
By Marc Chagall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
MARC CHAGALL 1887 - 1985 "Le joueur de flûte" 1958 Colour lithograph 25.5x44 cm, illustration; 38.3x57.3 cm, sheet size Signed lower right by the artist in ink "Marc Chagall" and dedicated "Pour Ursula et Gerd Hatje / "merci" / Marc Chagall / 1958". Inscribed lower left by the artist "Epreuve d'artiste". This is an artist’s proof, aside from the edition of 90. Catalogue Raisonné : Mourlot 197 Gerd Hatje (14 April 1915 – 24 July 2007) was a German publisher. The publishing house that he founded in 1945, named the Humanitas Verlag, renamed in 1947 as Verlag Gerd Hatje, is internationally known for contemporary art, photography and architecture. It merged in to Hatje Cantz in 1999. In the 1950s and 1960s, Hatje changed the focus to art, photography, and architecture.[1] He had contact with and was a friend of contemporary artists such as Hans Arp, Willi Baumeister, Joseph Beuys, Max Bill, Georges Braque, Marcel Breuer, Marc Chagall, Christo, Le Corbusier, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Walter Gropius, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and James Stirling...
Category

Mid-19th Century Impressionist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Red Flower - Limited edition Serigraph by Peter Max
By Peter Max
Located in Montreal, Quebec
-- Artwork comes with a certificate of authenticity -- Numbered and hand signed by Peter Max -- Comes with a premium quality frame
Category

1990s Pop Art Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Lithograph, Archival Pigment

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

Access
Located in Berlin, DE
Willibrord Haas (*1936 Schramberg), Access, 1979. etching, 40 cm x 30 cm (plate size), 54 cm x 37.5 cm (sheet size). Signed “Willibrord Haas” in pencil by the artist, dated “1979”, t...
Category

1970s Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper

Access
Access
H 21.26 in W 14.77 in D 0.4 in
Original Antique Framed Print of a Black Bear, 1847
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of a black bear presented in an antique oak frame Lithograph after Cpt. Brown with original hand color. Please note the dark area to the right of the print is shadow P...
Category

1840s English Folk Art Antique Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Oak, Paper

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

Kingfisher, Colored Pencil Drawing with Blue, Orange, Brown, Matted & Framed
Located in Chicago, IL
The Kingfisher is bird often first noticed by its wild rattling call as it flies over rivers or lakes. It may be seen perched on a high snag, or hovering on rapidly beating wings, then plunging headfirst into the water to grab a fish. Artist Sylvia Beckman captures the Kingfisher with all its glorious plumage and brilliant colorings This drawing is matted and framed. Sylvia Beckman Kingfisher colored pencil on paper Measures: 13 H x 8 W in 33.02 H x 20.32 W cm FRAMED DIMENSIONS 18h x 14w in 45.72h x 35.56w cm SUB029 Sylvia Beckman, b. 1938, Detroit, MI Education University of Michigan, School of Arch. & Design University of Wisconsin, Botany Private apprenticeship in stone sculpture, bronze, gilding and painting Exhibitions 2017 “Coming Attractions”, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 1997 S.O.F.A. exhibition, Ann Nathan Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 1997 Monumental Bronze Sculpture Commisson, Olbrich Park, Madison, WI 1994 Sculpture, Olbrich Botanic Gardens, Spring Display, Madison,WI 1994 Paintings & Drawings, North Seas Gallery, Charlevoix, MI 1994 Paintings & drawings, Olbrich Botanic Center, Madison, WI 1988 Monumental Stone Sculpture...
Category

2010s American Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper

Rising
Located in Berlin, DE
Willibrord Haas (*1936 Schramberg), Rising, 1980. Etching, 35 cm x 22 cm (plate size), 53.5 cm x 38 cm (sheet size). Signed “Willibrord Haas” in pencil by the artist, dated “1980”, t...
Category

1980s Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper

Rising
Rising
H 21.07 in W 14.97 in D 0.4 in
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

The completely naked prostration
Located in Berlin, DE
Willibrord Haas (*1936 Schramberg), The completely naked prostration, 1999. Etching, 32.5 cm x 23.5 cm (plate size), 54 cm x 37.5 cm (sheet size). Signed “Willibrord Haas” in lead by...
Category

1990s Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Paper

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
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
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
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
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
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

Rice Paper, Charcoal

Niño by Diego Rivera
Niño by Diego Rivera
H 19.25 in W 16.88 in D 0.75 in
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 '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
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

1998 Diego Rivera 'Still Life, 1913' Switzerland Offset Lithograph
By Diego Rivera
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Paper Size: 31.5 x 23.75 inches ( 80.01 x 60.325 cm ) Image Size: 25.5 x 20.25 inches ( 64.77 x 51.435 cm ) Framed: No Condition: A-: Near Mint, very light signs of handling ...
Category

1990s Diego Rivera Art

Materials

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

Vintage 1948 Limited Edition (of 200) Lithograph by Mexican Master Diego Rivera
By Diego Rivera
Located in Surfside, FL
These are not individually hand signed or numbered. The stated edition on the justification page is 200. They are signed in the plate. The last two images of the title sheet and justification sheet are not included in this sale. just the one lithograph. Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (1886–1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the mural movement in Mexican and international art. Between 1922 and 1953, Rivera painted murals in, among other places, Mexico City, Chapingo, and Cuernavaca, Mexico; and San Francisco, Detroit, and New York City, United States. In 1931, a retrospective exhibition of his works was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; this was before he completed his 27-mural series known as Detroit Industry Murals. Rivera had numerous marriages and children, including at least one natural daughter. His first child and only son died at the age of two. His third wife was fellow Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, with whom he had a volatile relationship that continued until her death. He was married a fifth time, to his agent. Due to his importance in the country’s art history, the government of Mexico declared Rivera's works as "monumentos historicos". As of 2018, Rivera holds the record for highest price at auction for a work of Latin American art. The 1931 painting The Rivals, part of the record setting Collection of Peggy Rockefeller and David Rockefeller, sold for US$9.76 million. His mother María del Pilar Barrientos was said to have Converso ancestry (Spanish ancestors who were forced to convert from Judaism to Catholicism in the 15th and 16th centuries). Rivera wrote in 1935: "My Jewishness is the dominant element in my life," despite never being raised practicing any Jewish faith, Rivera felt his Jewish ancestry informed his art and gave him "sympathy with the downtrodden masses". Diego was of Mexican, Spanish, Indian, African, Italian, Jewish, Russian, and Portuguese descent. From the age of ten, Rivera studied art at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City. He was sponsored to continue study in Europe by Teodoro A. Dehesa Méndez, the governor of the State of Veracruz. After arriving in Europe in 1907, Rivera first went to Madrid, Spain to study with Eduardo Chicharro. From there he went to Paris, France, a destination for young European and American artists and writers, who settled in inexpensive flats in Montparnasse. His circle frequented La Ruche, where his Italian friend Amedeo Modigliani painted his portrait in 1914. His circle of close friends included School of Paris artists Ilya Ehrenburg, Chaim Soutine, Modigliani and his wife Jeanne Hébuterne, Max Jacob, gallery owner Léopold Zborowski, and Moise Kisling. Rivera's former lover Marie Vorobieff-Stebelska (Marevna) honored the circle in her painting Homage to Friends from Montparnasse (1962). In those years, some prominent young painters were experimenting with an art form that would later be known as Cubism, a movement led by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. From 1913 to 1917, Rivera enthusiastically embraced this new art style.[ Around 1917, inspired by Paul Cezanne paintings, Rivera shifted toward Post-Impressionism, using simple forms and large patches of vivid colors. His paintings began to attract attention, and he was able to display them at several exhibitions. In his later years Rivera lived in the United States and Mexico. In 1920, urged by Alberto J. Pani, the Mexican ambassador to France, Rivera left France and traveled through Italy studying its art, including Renaissance frescoes. In 1921 to become involved in the government sponsored Mexican mural program. The program included such Mexican artists as José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo, and the French artist Jean Charlot. In January 1922, he painted – experimentally in encaustic – his first significant mural Creation in the Bolívar Auditorium of the National Preparatory School in Mexico City while guarding himself with a pistol against right-wing students. In the autumn of 1922, Rivera participated in the founding of the Revolutionary Union of Technical Workers, Painters and Sculptors, and later that year he joined the Mexican Communist Party (including its Central Committee). His murals, subsequently painted in fresco only, dealt with Mexican society and reflected the country's 1910 Revolution. Rivera developed his own native style based on large, simplified figures and bold colors with an Aztec influence. The mural En el Arsenal (In the Arsenal) shows on the right-hand side Tina Modotti holding an ammunition belt and facing Julio...
Category

1940s Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

Vintage 1948 Limited Edition (of 200) Lithograph by Mexican Master Diego Rivera
By Diego Rivera
Located in Surfside, FL
These are not individually hand signed or numbered. The stated edition on the justification page is 200. They are signed in the plate. The last two images of the title sheet and justification sheet are not included in this sale. just the one lithograph. Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (1886–1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the mural movement in Mexican and international art. Between 1922 and 1953, Rivera painted murals in, among other places, Mexico City, Chapingo, and Cuernavaca, Mexico; and San Francisco, Detroit, and New York City, United States. In 1931, a retrospective exhibition of his works was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; this was before he completed his 27-mural series known as Detroit Industry Murals. Rivera had numerous marriages and children, including at least one natural daughter. His first child and only son died at the age of two. His third wife was fellow Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, with whom he had a volatile relationship that continued until her death. He was married a fifth time, to his agent. Due to his importance in the country’s art history, the government of Mexico declared Rivera's works as "monumentos historicos". As of 2018, Rivera holds the record for highest price at auction for a work of Latin American art. The 1931 painting The Rivals, part of the record setting Collection of Peggy Rockefeller and David Rockefeller, sold for US$9.76 million. His mother María del Pilar Barrientos was said to have Converso ancestry (Spanish ancestors who were forced to convert from Judaism to Catholicism in the 15th and 16th centuries). Rivera wrote in 1935: "My Jewishness is the dominant element in my life," despite never being raised practicing any Jewish faith, Rivera felt his Jewish ancestry informed his art and gave him "sympathy with the downtrodden masses". Diego was of Mexican, Spanish, Indian, African, Italian, Jewish, Russian, and Portuguese descent. From the age of ten, Rivera studied art at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City. He was sponsored to continue study in Europe by Teodoro A. Dehesa Méndez, the governor of the State of Veracruz. After arriving in Europe in 1907, Rivera first went to Madrid, Spain to study with Eduardo Chicharro. From there he went to Paris, France, a destination for young European and American artists and writers, who settled in inexpensive flats in Montparnasse. His circle frequented La Ruche, where his Italian friend Amedeo Modigliani painted his portrait in 1914. His circle of close friends included School of Paris artists Ilya Ehrenburg, Chaim Soutine, Modigliani and his wife Jeanne Hébuterne, Max Jacob, gallery owner Léopold Zborowski, and Moise Kisling. Rivera's former lover Marie Vorobieff-Stebelska (Marevna) honored the circle in her painting Homage to Friends from Montparnasse (1962). In those years, some prominent young painters were experimenting with an art form that would later be known as Cubism, a movement led by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. From 1913 to 1917, Rivera enthusiastically embraced this new art style.[ Around 1917, inspired by Paul Cezanne paintings, Rivera shifted toward Post-Impressionism, using simple forms and large patches of vivid colors. His paintings began to attract attention, and he was able to display them at several exhibitions. In his later years Rivera lived in the United States and Mexico. In 1920, urged by Alberto J. Pani, the Mexican ambassador to France, Rivera left France and traveled through Italy studying its art, including Renaissance frescoes. In 1921 to become involved in the government sponsored Mexican mural program. The program included such Mexican artists as José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo, and the French artist Jean Charlot. In January 1922, he painted – experimentally in encaustic – his first significant mural Creation in the Bolívar Auditorium of the National Preparatory School in Mexico City while guarding himself with a pistol against right-wing students. In the autumn of 1922, Rivera participated in the founding of the Revolutionary Union of Technical Workers, Painters and Sculptors, and later that year he joined the Mexican Communist Party (including its Central Committee). His murals, subsequently painted in fresco only, dealt with Mexican society and reflected the country's 1910 Revolution. Rivera developed his own native style based on large, simplified figures and bold colors with an Aztec influence. The mural En el Arsenal (In the Arsenal) shows on the right-hand side Tina Modotti holding an ammunition belt and facing Julio...
Category

1940s Modern Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Lithograph

San Francisco Art Institute Mural Preliminary Drawing
By Diego Rivera
Located in Santa Monica, CA
DIEGO RIVERA (1886 – 1957) (Inv. list NY 10) MURAL STUDY FOR THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL of FINE ARTS (SF ART INSTITUTE) ca.1930-31 Important early study of one of Rivera’s first works in the United States. Depicts San Francisco and the Bay with California Allegorical elements. Also shows early ideas for the nave that were never executed at all. Unsigned, but annotated by Emmy Lou Packard...
Category

1930s Realist Diego Rivera Art

Materials

Graphite

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 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 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 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.

Recently Viewed

View All