Diego Rivera

DIEGO RIVERA (Mexico, 1886- 1957).
"Danzantes", 1931.
Ink on paper.
Signed and dated in the lower right margin.
Attached certificate issued by Diego M. Alvarado Rivera, son of the artist.
Measurements: 32.5 x 24 cm; 51.3 x 41.5 cm (frame).

Born in Guanajuato in 1886, Diego Rivera showed a precocious talent for drawing, which led him to enter the San Carlos Academy at a very young age, where he received traditional training and had Antonio Fabrés and, especially, José María Velasco as teachers. In 1907 he traveled to Europe thanks to the support of Dr. Atl and a government scholarship, remaining in Madrid until 1909, where he worked in the workshop of Eduardo Chicharro and made numerous copies of works from the Prado Museum. Upon his return to Mexico in 1921, he was hired by José Vasconcelos to paint murals, beginning a period that consolidated his recognition. As director of the San Carlos Academy of Fine Arts, he promoted reforms inspired by Renaissance workshops, encouraging practice, student self-management and new methodologies, although his approach met with resistance and forced him to resign. From 1930 onwards, Rivera focused his career on North America, carrying out important commissions that consolidated his international reputation and defined his legacy as one of the most outstanding muralists of the 20th century.