Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera pioneered Mexico’s mural movement in the early 20th century with sprawling, detailed narrative scenes that celebrated the country’s Indigenous culture and working class. Along with his contemporaries David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco, Rivera created public frescos and murals that extolled revolutionary ideals and celebrated the nation’s past and present—after the bloody Mexican Revolution ended in 1920, the government sponsored these artworks. Rivera’s international profile grew, and he received commissions around the world. His scenes demonstrate the influence of Renaissance frescoes and Mexican folklore. In the late 1930s, Rivera dedicated himself to smaller-scale easel paintings. Today, those works can be found in the collections of the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among other institutions. At auction, Rivera’s work has sold for seven-figure prices.