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Diego Rivera's Man at the Crossroads

1934 By 1930, Mexican muralist Diego Rivera has gained international favor for his lush and passionate murals. Inspired by Communist ideals and an intense devotion to his cultural heritage, Rivera creates boldly hued masterpieces of public art that adorn the municipal buildings of Mexico City. His outgoing personality puts him at the center of a circle of left-wing painters and poets, and his talent attracts wealthy patrons, including Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. In 1932, she convinces her husband, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., to commission a Rivera mural for the lobby of the soon-to-be-completed Rockefeller Center in New York City. Flush from successes in San Francisco and Detroit, Rivera proposes a 63-foot-long portrait of workers facing symbolic crossroads of industry, science, socialism, and capitalism. The painter believes that his friendship with the Rockefeller family will allow him to insert an unapproved representation of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin into a section portraying a May Day parade. The real decision-making power lies with the Center's building managers, who abhor Rivera's propagandistic approach. Horrified by newspaper articles attacking the mural's anti-capitalist ideology, they order Rivera to remove the offending image. When Rivera refuses, offering to balance the work with a portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the opposing side, the managers pay his full fee, bar him from the site, and hide the mural behind a massive drape. Despite negotiations to transfer the work to the Museum of Modern Art and demonstrations by Rivera supporters, near midnight, on February 10th, 1934, Rockefeller Center workmen, carrying axes, demolish the mural. Later, Rivera recreates the frescoes in the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City, adding a portrait of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in a nightclub. Rivera never works in the United States again, but continues to be active, both politically and artistically, until his death in 1957.

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Who was the famous Mexican mural painter who painted a mural in New York in the 1930'S which was ultimately destroyed by the people who commissioned the work?

Diego Rivera.


What was the name of Diego Rivera's dad?

Diego Rivera's dads name was also Diego Rivera.


Where was Diego rivera from?

Diego Rivera is from Guanajuato, Mexico


Which mural was destroyed because Diego Rivera included Lenin the Communist leader of the Soviet Union in the mural?

The mural that was destroyed is "Man at the Crossroads," originally commissioned for the Rockefeller Center in New York City. Diego Rivera included a depiction of Vladimir Lenin, which led to significant controversy and backlash from the Rockefeller family and patrons who opposed communism. As a result, the mural was ultimately painted over in 1934. Rivera later recreated a version of it at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.


Diego Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo are famous Mexican?

how did Diego rivera come famoushow did Diego rivera come famous


What was Diego Rivera's favorite animal?

diego rivera favorite food


Who was Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's husband and why is he also famous?

Frida Kahlo married Diego Rivera, a Mexican artist.


Why did Rockefeller have man at the crossroads destroyed?

Rockefeller had "Man at the Crossroads," a mural by Diego Rivera, destroyed because it included a depiction of Lenin and promoted communist themes that conflicted with his views and the values of his patronage. The mural was commissioned for the RCA Building in New York City, but Rockefeller objected to Rivera's political message. After Rivera refused to alter the mural, it was ultimately taken down in 1934, highlighting the tensions between artistic expression and corporate interests.


What was the name of Diego Rivera's mom?

His parents were Diego and Maria Barrientos Rivera.


When was Pinacoteca Diego Rivera created?

Pinacoteca Diego Rivera was created in 1998.


What made Diego rivera happy?

what made Diego Rivera happy was that he realize his dream of becoming a artist. Diego Rivera never though he could become an artist


What is the name of Diego Rivera's twin?

The name of Diego Rivera's twin was Jose Carlos Barrientos de Rivera. Carlos Maria