Discover the Colorful World of Diego Rivera: Top 7 Fun and Fascinating Facts You Never Knew

1. Lobby Murals and Lenin

When life gives you lobbies, make murals: Diego Rivera's political mural for the RCA building lobby in Rockefeller Center was ultimately destroyed due to his not-so-subtle inclusion of Lenin, enraging the Rockefellers and leaving the wall a massive canvas of canceled commission. Nevertheless, Rivera's influence on American painting and Mexican national art persevered and continues to inspire today.
Source => nytimes.com

2. The People's Paint Party Manifesto

Move over, aristocrats, the people's paint party has arrived: Diego Rivera, a firm believer in the egalitarian power of murals, was a key signatory on the 1922 Manifesto of the Syndicate of Technical Workers, Painters, and Sculptors, which urged artists to produce art that was accessible and relevant for the masses – as evidenced by his monumental creations like The History of Mexico at the National Palace in Mexico City.
Source => khanacademy.org

Did you know the friendship between Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso hit a roadblock after a heated dinner party argument? Despite this, they remained mutually captivated by each other's art styles, influencing masterpieces like Chagall's Cubist Landscape and Picasso's The Lovers. Discover more intriguing connections between these iconic artists!

=> Fun Facts about Marc-Chagall

3. The RCA Building Pickle

Once upon a time in the land of murals and capitalism, Diego Rivera painted himself into a pickle that would make even the most stalwart New Yorker blush: Rivera was commissioned to create a mural at the RCA Building in Rockefeller Center, only to have it destroyed before completion over a controversial portrait of Lenin. The artist, undeterred, recreated the composition in Mexico, and the tale of the Rockefeller's souring on Rivera's communist tendencies lives on through black-and-white photographs and the protests and boycotts by fellow artists.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Rivera and Kahlo: Art World Brangelina

You might call Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo the OG "Brangelina" of the art world, swinging through a kaleidoscope of scandals, intrigue, and famous flings: Their iconic love story featured a generous helping of extramarital escapades, with Rivera juggling multiple conquests and Kahlo fancying an all-star lineup including Leon Trotsky and Georgia O'Keeffe—each passionate detour only fueling the fiery intensity and captivating complexity of their artistic portrayals of one another.
Source => contexttravel.com

5. Ford Motors Meets Fine Arts

In a true marriage of "Ford" and fine arts, Diego Rivera was commissioned to paint a picture of Detroit's industrial life in the 1930s; talk about a classic case of "opposites attract"! The serious reveal: Rivera's Detroit Industry mural cycle at the Detroit Institute of Arts was funded by the Ford Motor Company, who paid him $20,899 and granted him full creative freedom (subject to Arts Commission approval), all in a bid to rev up their public image post a worker's hunger strike.
Source => nps.gov

6. Revolution and Calla Lilies

If Diego Rivera's murals could talk, they'd probably say "Viva la revolution! ...But first, some calla lilies, please!": This prolific painter not only brightened up walls with braided beauties bustling with bouquets, but also stirred quite the ruckus with his Marxist themes, including a commissioned Rockefeller Center piece that featured Lenin's portrait, leading to its eventual destruction.
Source => nytimes.com

7. Lenin Lemonade: Rivera's Resurrection

When life gives you lemons, paint a Lenin: Diego Rivera's Rockefeller Center mural, "Man at the Crossroads," stirred quite the pot - featuring a bold display of Lenin and a Soviet May Day parade which ultimately led to its unfortunate demolition before completion. Fear not, as Rivera later resurrected this artistic marvel in Mexico, making lemonade by incorporating famous figures such as Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison into the new masterpiece.
Source => diegorivera.org