Diego Rivera by James D. Cockcroft
Diego Rivera, a renowned Mexican artist and muralist, is the central figure in a biography that highlights his significant contributions to art and social consciousness. This biography chronicles Rivera's life from his childhood in Mexico through his artistic development in Europe and his eventual return to Mexico, where he became a prominent figure in the Mexican muralism movement. Key moments include his controversial mural at Rockefeller Center in New York, which sparked a notable conflict due to its inclusion of communist themes, particularly the portrayal of Lenin, leading to its destruction.
Rivera's artistic journey is interwoven with his political beliefs, showcasing his leftist ideologies that were influenced by the socio-political climate of Mexico during his formative years. His relationships, especially with fellow artist Frida Kahlo and other partners, are explored, illustrating his complex personal life alongside his artistic pursuits. The biography provides a balanced view of Rivera, depicting him as a passionate individual dedicated to advocating for the dignity of the common people through his art. Additionally, it offers insights into the historical context of Mexico, enriching the reader's understanding of Rivera's work and the broader cultural implications of his artistry. Overall, this account serves as an accessible introduction to Rivera's multifaceted life and his enduring impact on art and society.
Diego Rivera by James D. Cockcroft
First published: 1991; illustrated
Subjects: Artists and race and ethnicity
Type of work: Biography
Time of work: 1886-1957
Recommended Ages: 13-18
Locale: Mexico, Europe, and the United States
Principal Personages:
Diego María Rivera , an artist and sociopolitically involved leftistDiego Rivera, Sr. , his father, a minor bureaucrat in the Mexican Department of HealthMaria Rivera , his mother, a homemakerAngeline Beloff , a Russian artist and revolutionary, the mother of Rivera’s first sonGuadalupe Marin , Rivera’s tempestuous first wifeFrida Kahlo , Rivera’s second wife, also an artist and leftistEmma Hurtado , an art dealer who became Rivera’s third wifeJosé Guadalupe Posada , an engraver, artist, and radical whom Rivera viewed as his most important teacherAmadeo Modigliani , a great Italian painter and sculptor and one of Rivera’s good friends
Form and Content
James D. Cockcroft’s Diego Rivera is a delightful biography describing the life of the great Mexican artist Diego María Rivera. It is part of a series of books entitled Hispanics of Achievement that seeks to describe contributions of great Hispanics both to American society and worldwide. The biography is divided into nine chapters, each a well-illustrated vignette describing a portion of the life and work of the artist. All the chapters, except for chapter 1, are in chronological order.
This first chapter, “Only in America,” takes place in the 1930’s, when the already-famous Rivera was in the midst of painting a mural commissioned by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in the RCA building of New York City’s Rockefeller Center. The mural, Man at the Crossroads Looking with Uncertainty but with Hope and High Vision to the Choosing of a Course Leading to a New and Better Future, was meant to honor the strivings of the working class. It soon became quite unsatisfactory to the artist’s patron, however, because of the prominent inclusion of the communist leader Vladimir Ilich Lenin.
In the eyes of his patron, Rivera went too far, beginning what the news media named “the battle of Rockefeller Center.” In the end, Rivera was paid completely for the unfinished work and fired. The mural was covered over and later destroyed. Rivera fought this drastic artistic censorship quite vigorously. The chapter summarizes his talents, tenacity, and love for life, communism, and the common people.
The next four chapters describe Rivera’s beginnings, starting with his childhood in Mexico, continuing with his art study abroad, and ending with his return to Mexico in 1921. Included in the early Mexican portion are Rivera’s decision at the age of ten to become an artist and his study at Mexico City’s Academy of San Carlos. Rivera’s revolutionary tendencies are also shown to be stimulated by strong interaction with José Guadalupe Posada; Cockcroft tells readers that the artist viewed Posada as his most important teacher.
In Europe, Rivera is depicted as working hard, reading on sociopolitical issues profusely, and developing both a strong sympathy for communism and his great artistic talent. Rivera’s long love affair with Angeline Beloff, a Russian artist and revolutionary and the mother of his first son, is depicted but showed in balance with his ever-growing leftist tendencies.
Chapters 6 through 8 describe the tempestuous career of the artist, interweaving descriptions of the development of Rivera’s art, his works, his role in the art world, his varied love life, and his continued deep fascination with communism. Throughout the book, Diego Rivera is depicted as mercurial both in his political convictions and in his love life. These chapters reveal the latter in his stormy relationship with his second wife, Frida Kahlo, a leftist and a famous artist in her own right. Also included are Rivera’s affairs with other women, including the art dealer Emma Hurtado, who became his third wife in 1955.
Chapter 9, “God Is Dead,” covers Rivera’s last years, beginning with the onset of World War II. The ever-growing communist sentiment of his work is noted, as is his lust for life. Cockcroft ends by eulogizing Rivera, stating quite enthusiastically that through his art, “wherever there is greed, exploitation, and oppression, Rivera’s defiant spirit will be at work against those forces.”
Critical Context
Diego Rivera is an excellent place to begin an exploration of the life and many artistic contributions of this great muralist. It is most suitable for art appreciation courses or for courses that delve into the psyches and social consciousness of great Hispanic individuals or of modern artists.
James Cockcroft portrays Diego Rivera, who is most often viewed solely as a stubborn, irreverent, and fanatical communist, as a thinking individual who developed a leftist sociopolitical viewpoint as a result of the political conditions existing in Mexico during his formative years. In addition, it becomes evident that Rivera both analyzed his own political ideology and was not fanatically adherent to communism. Rather, it seems likely that he saw communism as a way for the common people, whom he portrays so poignantly, to seek human dignity.
Diego Rivera provides a good sampling of black-and-white and color plates of the artist’s works, which makes clear his talent and his efforts to condemn social injustice and celebrate the inherent greatness of the common people. These aspects of the text make it quite useful for young people as a primer for social consciousness and a yardstick for great twentieth century art. Another aspect of the book that makes it useful for study by young readers is the view that it gives of Mexico’s political climate during Rivera’s lifetime; Cockcroft describes the actions of Mexican public officials, including several presidents, and important historical events in that country.
Diego Rivera also fleshes out the entire life of the artist, in contrast to the partial coverage in Florence Arquin’s Diego Rivera: Shaping of an Artist, 1889-1921 (1971). Moreover, it places all of his art in context in comparison to specialized texts such as Diego Rivera: Science and Creativity in the Detroit Murals (1986), by Dorothy McMeekin. These other books do provide more details about specific aspects of Rivera’s life and work, as do the many references in Cockcroft’s section on further readings.