Mexican Muralism

Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera founded Mexican Muralism, painting monumental frescoes on the walls of public buildings so that art would reach ordinary people, not only museum visitors. Man, Controller of the Universe was his response to the political scandal surrounding an earlier version of the mural in New York.

Back to library View chronology

1886-1957 · Mexican muralist

Rivera made monumental mural painting the defining language of 20th-century Mexican art and influenced muralists worldwide, including painters of the American New Deal era.

Creator story

Surprising fact

Rivera first created this composition, Man at the Crossroads, for Rockefeller Center in New York, but the patrons destroyed the fresco over its portrait of Lenin; Rivera recreated it from memory in Mexico City, adding even more political detail.

Source: Wikipedia / Wikimedia

Founder of Mexican Muralism — monumental public-wall painting meant for everyone, not just museum visitors.
Recreated his destroyed New York fresco from memory, making the Mexico City version even more political.
Married to painter Frida Kahlo; their relationship became part of the shared legend of 20th-century Mexican art.