Smarthistory – Diego Rivera in Depression-era New York

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Rivera, Sugar Cane

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Question 1

Why was Diego Rivera interested in creating large-scale murals?

A	They offered a powerful means to express revolutionary ideas to the public
B	Their portability allowed the paintings to travel widely and reach the broadest possible audience
C	They reflected the modernist artistic traditions that Rivera discovered while in Paris
D	The fresco technique allowed him to easily rework imagery and experiment with new ideas

Question 2

Based on the speakers’ comments, what is the main subject of the painting Sugar Cane?

A	The strength and resilience of the Mexican working classes
B	The sweetness of the innocent rural world of the past
C	The wealth and prosperity in the years prior to the Revolution
D	The racial and class oppression that existed on Mexican plantations

Question 3

What caused Rivera’s work to be received differently by patrons in the United States?

A	He was not allowed to create large scale frescoes, but only smaller paintings for museums
B	Audiences in the United States did not have much interest in Mexican history and culture
C	His own Marxist beliefs were in stark opposition to his patrons, who were wealthy capitalists
D	He was unable to show class struggle through scenes of agrarian life in the United States

Question 4

Which idea may be inferred from the study of Rivera’s Sugar Cane?

A	Realism in art is often understood through critical analysis and interpretation
B	Realism in art is often used to communicate a political position to the viewer
C	Realism in art is often used by artists living outside of the United States
D	Realism in art is often associated with artists of the early 20th century

Question 5

Which is NOT true of the indigenous figures in this painting?

A	They contrast to the brutality of life in Mexico under the hacienda system
B	They connect the sugar cane workers to the ancient traditions of Mexico
C	They create a narrative by appearing in the earlier paintings by Rivera
D	They suggest purposeful activity different from the reclining man in the hammock

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Key points

In the years following the Mexican Revolution, murals became an important tool for political propaganda and mass education. Decorating public spaces in a realist style, these paintings recount the history and struggles of the people in Mexico.
Diego Rivera was influenced by Marxism and many of his paintings focus on class struggle, compounded by the legacies of colonialism and racism. Although he was occasionally supported by wealthy American patrons, his political message was intended to support the working class.
Born in Mexico but trained in Europe, Diego Rivera combined ancient and modern techniques in his art. The fresco technique (painting on walls) has roots in both Italian and Mexican art; Rivera’s invention of portable murals allowed his work to be widely seen while remaining connected to a long tradition of public painting.

Go deeper

See this work of art in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Learn more about the Mexican Revolution through primary sources

Find out how art and music played a role in the Mexican Revolution

What were relations between the U.S. and Mexico like during the Mexican Revolution?

View images and the catalogue from Diego Rivera’s 1931 solo exhibition at MoMA in New York City

Learn about the technique of fresco and how Diego Rivera created his murals

Learn more about the Mexican Muralists

More to think about

As discussed in the video, large scale public frescoes by Rivera and other Mexican muralists served an important function as political propaganda in the years after the Mexican Revolution. Can you identify any public art where you live, and if so, does it stake out a political position?

Diego Rivera in Depression-era New York

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Rivera, Sugar Cane

Key points

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