Diego Maria Rivera (Rivera Diego Maria)

(1886-1957)
Born in Guanajuato on Dec. 8, 1886. From 1907 to 1921 he studied and worked in Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain. In 1921 he returned to Mexico and soon joined in the implementation of public art program frescoed public buildings. During the 1920's developed his own style of monumental painting. In the 1930's became one of the most famous artists of Mexico. From 1930 to 1934, Rivera lived in the U.S., working on paintings of buildings in New York, Detroit and San Francisco. In 1931, held a large exhibition of his works in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Within a few years after 1934 he worked mainly easel painting. Working in oils and watercolor techniques, preferred genres such as portrait and landscape.
Since 1940 Rivera once again turned to the fresco painting: he worked for the World Expo in San Francisco, painted the National Palace in Mexico City. Tracks Man at the Crossroads (1933) for the Rockefeller Center in New York and Sunday in the Alameda (1948) for the hotel 'Prado' in Mexico City caused a political and religious controversy. Rivera died in Mexico City on November 25, 1957.