Diego Rivera © inspyr arts ED LLC 2018

Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez Today’s artist is Sr. Diego Rivera. He was born a long time ago in 1886 and died a long time ago in 1957. Making him 71 years old when he died. But there’s one thing all artists have in common…. They were all kids! So lets meet Diego. © inspyr arts ED LLC 2018

Diego Rivera December 8, 1886 Mexico Meet Diego! This was drawn by one of our Inspyr Illustrators, Ms. Katie. Teachers, we will be sending these illustrations to you as activity worksheet for your class. Diego was born in Mexico in the city of Guanajato.  

Diego he had a twin brother, named Carlos Diego he had a twin brother, named Carlos. Carlos and Diego were very close and loved to play with each other. They lived in in a “well to do” family with their mom, Maria, who was a doctor, and their dad, Diego Senior., who was a newspaper editor. For the most part, they had a very happy family. Unfortunately, Carlos wouldn’t make it. It’s unclear how he died, but it’s rumored that shortly after, Diego’s artistic side came out. He took his sadness, and turned it into art on walls…or at least scribbles inside their house.

As a young man, Diego had an opportunity to study art in Europe, where he studied under famous Impressionist artists such as Cézanne, Matisse and Modgliani. This experience highly influenced his work. When he came back to Mexico, what he saw saddened him. He saw the hard conditions of the poor working class. He thought to himself, “What can I do about it? I’m just an artist.”   Then inspiration came! He thought of drawing and painting his sadness about their working conditions into murals, which are large paintings on walls. He wanted to give them a voice and show others their struggle, in the hopes that it would make a difference. And this is where our journey unfolds..

Flower Day (Día de Flores) (1925) This is Diego’s painting called “Flower Day.” He loved showing the softness of kindness of people who were in the working class. He showed this by using curved edges or lines, and with color. Raise your hand if you think he used warm colors in this painting? Raise your hand if you think he used cool colors in this painting? Yes, he used warm colors to show that the painting and the people are approachable and likeable. Photo Credit: https://www.wikiart.org/en/diego-rivera/flower-festival-1925 © inspyr arts ED LLC 2018 Flower Day (Día de Flores) (1925)

This is another piece called “The Flower Carrier This is another piece called “The Flower Carrier.” He loved showing how hard they work. What are some things that this picture can represent or symbolize something? (take a volunteer) Reflect back answer. It is said that Diego used symbolism in many of his pictures. This one the oversized basket of flowers and the man kneeling on all fours, symbolized the struggle of the working class. That though the man is carrying something of beauty, like flowers, he cant appreciate them like most of the working class that cannot appreciate luxuries, like flowers. Photo Credit: https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/35.4516 © inspyr arts ED LLC 2018 The Flower Carrier (1935)

This next one is called “Peasants. ” Can you see the undulating lines This next one is called “Peasants.” Can you see the undulating lines? Hold up a finger, and trace the undulating lines that you see. How many can you find? He used undulating lines to show movement and repetition. This helped show that the workers work in a certain rhythm, almost caught in a wave that they could not control. Photo Credit: http://centromemoria.gov.co/rebandera/temas/ © inspyr arts ED LLC 2018 Peasants (1947)

This mural is called “Sugar Cane This mural is called “Sugar Cane.” Diego loved showing how hard the poor working class worked, and was also passionate about the injustices of their working conditions. Can you identify any undulating lines? Trace it with your finger. Perfect! Do you see warm or cool colors? He wanted to show the difference between the working peasants and the rich landowners. The peasants are busy carrying things, while the bosses are on horseback, sitting down, and even lying down in a hammock! He wanted to show the inequalities of their working conditions. Photo Credit: https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/rivera/content/mural/sugar-cane/detail.php © inspyr arts ED LLC 2018 Sugar Cane (1931)

Left panel of Rivera's “History of Mexico” mural (1935) Here’s an example of one of Diego’s murals in the National Palace in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. This is a great example of the intricacy of his artwork and also the large scale that he would paint in. Can you see the people standing on the staircase? Imagine standing there, looking up at the large mural! Photo Credit: https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo:Palacio_Nacional_Murals_view.JPG © inspyr arts ED LLC 2018 Left panel of Rivera's “History of Mexico” mural (1935)

Finally, here he is, painting his mural in Detroit, Michigan Finally, here he is, painting his mural in Detroit, Michigan. He left a legacy of beautiful artwork and played an important role in to giving a voice to Mexico’s working class. Diego Rivera’s art can be seen around the world, as he was commissioned to travel and do murals in many different countries. Photo Credit: Detroit Institute of Arts https://www.dia.org/ © inspyr arts ED LLC 2018

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