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.
to
2
1
1
2
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
6
2
4
1
5
1
6
4
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
5
4
1
1
7
8,889
2,810
1,330
1,319
2
3
3
Artist: Diego Rivera
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
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
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
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
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
Lithograph, 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
Price Upon Request
Related Items
'Bacchus Cumampelo' — 18th Century Classical Italian Realism
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Giovanni Domenico Campiglia, 'Bacchus Cumampelo', engraving, 1734, edition unknown. Signed 'Dom. Campiglia del.' in the plate, lower left. Engraving by Gabbugiani, after the original...
Category
1730s Realist Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Engraving
Arnold Ronnebeck 1930s Lithograph – Grand Lake Colorado Yacht Races, WPA Era
By Arnold Rönnebeck
Located in Denver, CO
This striking vintage 1930s black-and-white lithograph by celebrated Colorado artist Arnold Ronnebeck (1885–1947) captures the dynamic energy of the Grand Lake...
Category
1930s American Modern Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Lithograph
$1,600
H 12.75 in W 8.5 in D 0.1 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
JEUX DE PAGES
By (after) Pablo Picasso
Located in Aventura, FL
Selected from the personal collection inherited by Marina Picasso, Pablo Picasso's granddaughter. After Pablo Picasso's death, his granddaughter Marina authorized the printing of t...
Category
1980s Cubist Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Lithograph, 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
Birds. 2020. Watercolor, paper, 66 x 96 cm
By Zigmunds Snore
Located in Riga, LV
Birds. 2020. Watercolor, paper, 66 x 96 cm
Seagulls over the sea
Zigmunds Šņore was born in 1942 in Latvia. His works has been exhibited since 1969 an...
Category
2010s Realist Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
$624 Sale Price
25% Off
H 25.99 in W 37.8 in D 0.04 in
Forest Triptych, Looking Up Through The Trees, Blue Nature, Handmade Cyanotype
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series of cyanotype triptychs showcases the beauty of nature scenes, including stunning beaches and oceans, as well as the intricate textures of w...
Category
2010s Naturalistic Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Lithograph, Rag Paper
$704 Sale Price
20% Off
H 40 in W 83 in
Lidded Jar with Design of a Lotus Pond (hand signed shaped lithograph)
By Takashi Murakami
Located in Aventura, FL
Offset lithograph in colors on shaped wove paper. Hand signed lower right by Takashi Murakami. Hand numbered 81/300 lower right. Artwork size: 24.6 x 22.2 inches. Frame size: 30 ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Paper, Lithograph, Offset
$1,875 Sale Price
25% Off
H 30 in W 28 in D 1 in
FIVE MUSICIANS (JUDAICA ART)
By Amram Ebgi
Located in Aventura, FL
Embossed lithograph with foil stamping on paper. Hand signed and numbered by the artist. From the edition of 750.
Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity in...
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Foil
'Financial District', New York City — American Modernism
By Howard Norton Cook
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Howard Cook, 'Financial District', lithograph, 1931, edition 75, Duffy 155. A fine, richly-inked impression, on cream wove paper, the full sheet with wide margins (2 3/4 to 5 5/8 inches), in excellent condition. Image size 13 5/16 x 10 3/8 inches (338 x 264 mm); sheet size 23 x 16 inches (584 x 406 mm). Matted to museum standards, unframed.
Literature: 'American Master Prints from the Betty and Douglas Duffy Collection', the Trust for Museum Exhibitions, Washington, D.C., 1987.
Collections: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Library of Congress, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Howard Norton Cook (1901-1980) was one of the best-known of the second generation of artists who moved to Taos. A native of Massachusetts, he studied at the Art Students League in New York City and at the Woodstock Art Colony. Beginning his association with Taos in 1926, he became a resident of the community in the 1930s. During his career, he received two Guggenheim Fellowships and was elected an Academician in the National Academy of Design. He earned a national reputation as a painter, muralist, and printmaker.
Cook’s work in the print mediums received acclaim early in his career with one-person exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum (1927) and the Museum of New Mexico (1928). He received numerous honors and awards over the years, including selection in best-of-the-year exhibitions sponsored by the American Institute of Graphics Arts, the Brooklyn Museum, the Society of American Etchers, and the Philadelphia Print Club. His first Guggenheim Fellowship took him to Taxco, Mexico in 1932 and 1933; his second in the following year enabled him to travel through the American South and Southwest.
Cook painted murals for the Public Works of Art Project in 1933 and the Treasury Departments Art Program in 1935. The latter project, completed in Pittsburgh, received a Gold Medal from the Architectural League of New York. One of his most acclaimed commissions was a mural in the San Antonio Post Office in 1937.
He and Barbara Latham settled in Talpa, south of Taos, in 1938 and remained there for over three decades. Cook volunteered in World War II as an Artist War Correspondent for the US Navy, where he was deployed in the Pacific. In 1943 he was appointed Leader of a War Art Unit...
Category
1930s American Modern Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Lithograph
$12,000
H 13.32 in W 10.38 in
Miami Art Deco Pool, Blue Cyanotype on Paper, Abstract Shapes Water Reflections
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype.
"Miami Art Deco Pool" shows the movements of water over a tiled swimming pool floor.
Details:
+ Title: Miami Art Deco Poo...
Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Emulsion, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, C Print, Lithograph, Other Medium
Monkey - Lithograph by Alberto Mastroianni - 1970s
By Alberto Mastroianni
Located in Roma, IT
Monkey is an original artwork realized by Alberto Mastroianni in 1970 ca.
Lithograph.
Hand Signed.
Edition of 150 pieces.
Category
1970s Contemporary Diego Rivera Art
Materials
Paper, Lithograph
$285
H 27.17 in W 11.03 in D 0.04 in
Previously Available Items
"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
H 19.5 in W 13.88 in D 0.66 in
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
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
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
Charcoal, Rice Paper
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
H 35.75 in W 25 in D 0.1 in
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
H 30 in W 24 in D 0.1 in
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
H 23.5 in W 17.5 in D 0.1 in
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
H 31.5 in W 23.75 in D 0.1 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
H 35.75 in W 25 in D 0.1 in
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.
Artists Similar to Diego Rivera
Questions About Diego Rivera Art
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024Diego 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, 2024You 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 ExpertMarch 22, 2022Yes, 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 5, 2022Some 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.