Diego Rivera

1886 - 1957

Inspired by Renaissance frescoes and motivated by a conviction in the value of public art, Diego Rivera found his calling as a muralist.

A visit to the Soviet Union informed his signature earth-toned, Social Realist style. In accordance with his Marxist views, he “made the masses the heroes of monumental art,” painting narrative scenes championing indigenous Mexican culture and workers who toiled in the name of progress. For example, Detroit Industry (1932 -1933), a 27-panel tribute to the city’s labor force, reveals Rivera’s interest in the form and function of industrial technology.