Diego Rivera: Murals for The Museum of Modern Art

This book was published for the eightieth anniversary of The Museum of Modern Art's first exhibit of Diego Rivera's work in October and November, 1931. Rivera was the second artist to be exhibited there, Matisse being the first several months earlier. Rivera's work at age 45 drew record numbers of crowds to the new museum in New York, more even than Henri Matisse at age 62.The book is full of excellent quality figures and plates of many of the murals that were on exhibit. Rivera went to New York ahead of time and actually painted several of the murals on the spot. Since he had been a member of the Communist Party and had spent time in the Soviet Union, and had also come out of the era of the Mexican Revolution, his political views were evident in his work. Because he painted one of the Rockefellers in one of the murals in a bad light, that particular mural was destroyed. The book has interesting information about Rivera's controversial political views and his opinions that were expressed in his artwork about capitalism and labor in this country.There are a couple of his paintings in the Cubism style shown, and drawings from a sketchbook that he kept while in Moscow that contained forty-five sketches of the military and other subjects. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller obtained the sketchbook and donated it to the MoMA. She continued to be a great supporter of Rivera.This publication is very comprehensive in its coverage of the 1931 exhibition and has a biography of Diego Rivera at the end. He married artist Frida Kahlo in August of 1929 in Mexico and died of cancer in his Mexican studio in 1957 at age 71. A fairly comprehensive bibliography is provided if the reader wants to learn more about Diego Rivera and his work.This is a book to go through again and again to study the murals that are represented. I have always liked Rivera's style of painting and his subject matter, so this is a treasure and has a wealth of information to read.

I actually saw the murals at the MoMa and with this book I am able to enjoy them again. Also, I learn more about them as well as Deigo Revera, at the same time. Lots of long lasting memories to share and look forward to sharing with others. Enjoy!

Great looking book! I'm glad I got it. The murals are in great detail and the stories behind them are very interesting.

I cannot recommend this book more highly. It is a visual masterpiece, and a workof art in it's own right. WOW!

all fine

fabulous

Excellent book, my son in law loved it.

Beautiful.