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Diego Rivera

Self-portrait (Autorretrato), 1930

Description

Maker

  • Diego Rivera, 1886-1957, Mexican

Title

Self-portrait (Autorretrato)

Year

1930

Medium

Color lithograph

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • lithograph

Supports

  • Medium weight olive Ingres laid paper

Dimensions

Plate: 40.2 x 28.4 cm (15 13/16 x 11 3/16 inches)

Type

  • Works on Paper,
  • Prints

Credit

Museum Works of Art Fund

Object Number

52.315

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Historias

August 9, 2013 - January 5, 2014

Facing Artists

February 27 - July 31, 2009

The larger-than-life sensibility of this self-portrait suits the reputation of Diego Rivera, a central figure in the Mexican Muralist movement. The work dates from the
year after he married his third wife (artist Frida Kahlo), was named director of the Academia de San Carlos, and saw the Communist Party—of which he was a
member—outlawed in Mexico. By 1930 he was already forced to resign as director of the Academia by the right-wing Calles government. Known for the drama
and grand scale of his murals, Rivera depicted himself with a faint smile in soft-looking crayon in this portrait, revealing another side of the man.

Drawing the Line

March 30 - June 10, 2001

The soft fullness of the crayon is well suited to the artist's ample size. Rivera's face fills the sheet, and his eyes convey an intensity that matches his reputation. Over much of the picture, lines are densely placed to convey tone, yet the artist has been careful not to fill in the dark areas completely. The individual marks add a depth and richness to the image, enhanced by the layer of ochre ink printed on the gray paper.

Artistic Expressions of the Human Spirit

November 21, 1997 - April 26, 1998

Migrations

February 21 - April 26, 1992

Del Nuevo Mundo

June 17 - September 4, 1988

Portrait Prints, 1900-1950

January 15 - March 27, 1953

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is Self-portrait (Autorretrato) with the accession number of 52.315. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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