My wife and I made a little trip earlier this month to nearby Bentonville, Arkansas for a little getaway and also to check out Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. They have a special exhibition of the art of Mexican artist, Diego Rivera.
Rivera was a controversial figure. He was dedicated to his fellow Mexicans and their struggles and was attracted to communism. He was a great artist by any measure. I knew him by his murals but he also painted a great deal.
My favorite work. The staggered man under the weight of the flowers, the colors. Everything about this seems perfect.
I love how he uses colors. The figures are very solemn and wooden. I think he did a great job portraying the culture of rural Mexico.
This painting struck me. It is a portrait of Francis Ford Seymour and Frances De Villers Brokaw. Seymour was a wife of Henry Fonda and the mother of Jane and Peter Fonda. Brokaw is a daughter from another marriage. Rivera spent much time living and working in California.
They had some interesting HD video of some of Rivera’s murals. They were startling because these works of art are at street level and every once in a while somebody will walk by.
There are 120 works of Riveras on display and at the end Heather and I were worn out. We tried to look at the rest of Crystal Bridges but we gave up and came back the next day.
I am linking up with My Corner of the World. Go check it out!!
Wow! That was quite a treat for you guys. I love his use of color also and the simplicity of his characters. His work was on exhibit in Denver during Covid along with pieces by Frida Kahlo, but I never made it up there to see it. Thanks for sharing!
What a joy it is to see these works and to learn of this amazing artist. The symbolism of the man with the large basket heavy with flowers is deeply moving.
Sounds like a fun day, I love his style of painting!
I’m loving his art – it all looks very realistic whereas some these days really is more imaginative.
My wife and I visited the exhibit recently as well and I found those murals captivating. I always enjoy looking at the pencil sketches that tell the story of how the final artwork was conceived and developed. Art is often a design project. The artist doesn’t just put a canvas on on easel and and begin painting the final work. Composition, lighting, and color all play a part in the final work and Rivera’s sketches show the labor of love that he put into each piece. I will probably return to this exhibit just knowing that I didn’t really see it all the first time. Glad you enjoyed your visit to our town and museum.
Beautiful collection of art, sounds like a great visit to the museum. Take care, enjoy your day!
I’d love to see some of that wonderful exhibit. We’re a little lacking in cultural opportunities here .. But when we travel to where we can visit art galleries and museums, it is really easy to burn out (maybe because we aren’t used to it)…. people who live where they can get ‘season tickets’ and return often are lucky. (Or in London where most were free.)….. you might like the Barbara Kingsolver novel “The Lacuna” — Diego and Frieda figure heavily.
What a fun trip for you and your wife and great photos of a dramatic artist and his works ~
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)