3/26/2014

A Mexican Painter And His Inspiration

By Darren Hartley


Diego Rivera paintings are large wall works in fresco. They help established the Mexican Mural Renaissance. Diego Rivera was a world-famous Mexican painter, an active communist and a husband to Frida Kahlo.

Diego Rivera paintings initially embraced cubism. They shifted towards Post-Impressionism with simple forms and large patches of vivid colors, inspired by the paintings of Paul Cezanne. They began to attract attention and displayed at several exhibitions.

Creation was the first significant mural among the Diego Rivera paintings. It was done in 1922 and painted in encaustic in an experimental manner. The following Diego Rivera murals were done only in fresco. They dealt with Mexican society while reflecting the 1910 Mexican revolution.

There was a development of a native style in the Diego Rivera paintings, starting in September, 1922. The basis of this style was large, simplified figures and colors, with a tinge of an Aztec influence.

Story telling is a feature of Diego Rivera paintings. A perfect example of this feature in Diego's mural entitled In The Arsenal. In this mural, Tina Modotti is shown holding an ammunition belt while facing Julio Antonio Mella, wearing a light hat and standing in front of Vittorio Vidale, wearing a black hat. The painting was considered by some spectators as evidence that Diego had prior knowledge of Vidale's murdering Mella.

Consisting of a series of 27 fresco panels were the Diego Rivera paintings between 1932 and 1933.This series was entitled Detroit Industry. Also completed in 1933 was a mural containing a portrait of Vladimir Lenin entitled Man at the Crossroads. This particular mural was repainted in 1934 and subsequently entitled Man, Controller of the Universe.

Laying the foundations for the transition from the artistic endeavour conception of the 19th century to a new and radically different work of art of the 20th century were the Cezanne paintings. In short, Cezanne paintings were the bridge between the 19th century Impressionism and the early 20th century Cubism.

Paul Cezanne was often referred to as the Father of Modern Art. He is a French artist and a Post-Impressionist painter. There was a mastery of design, color, composition and draftsmanship present in Cezanne paintings. These featured brushstrokes that are repetitive, sensitive and exploratory. This feature is highly characteristic and clearly recognizable as works by Cezanne.

Building up to the formation of complex fields are the planes of color and small brushstrokes presented in Cezanne paintings. The sensations of the observing eye as well as the abstractions from observed nature are directly expressed in these paintings. Other than conveying Paul's intense study of his subjects, they also show Paul's searching gaze and his struggle in dealing with the intricacies of human visual perception.

The ideal mixture of naturalistic representation, personal expression and abstract pictorial order is what Cezanne paintings aim at. Because early Cezanne paintings were done in dark tones supplemented by heavy and fluid pigments, they subsequently implied the moody and romantic expressionism imbued by previous generations of painters.

Cezanne paintings gradually developed into a commitment to contemporary life representation. They painted the world as observed by Paul sans concern for thematic idealization and stylistic affectation.




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