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.

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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.

From the artist's life

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 photographs 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 photographs, 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.