Dreaming with His Eyes Open: A Life of Diego Rivera

by Patrick Marnham

This biography - the first in over 40 years - of Diego Rivera, the brilliant Mexican artist and revolutionary (and twice-married husband of Frida Kahlo), captures the explosively passionate nature that made Rivera one of this century's most gifted and controversial painters. Drawing on his extensive travels and research, Patrick Marnham explores a character who was, in every sense, larger than life. We are introduced to the rural Mexico, full of mystery and turbulence, that shapes the enormously imaginative young Rivera's worldview - and a place that would remain his most enduring creative influence. We see the young apprentice leave Mexico for Spain on a government grant and then go on to Italy, where he first encounters the work of the great fresco painters that will change his life and art forever; to Paris, where he settles in Montparnasse at the epicenter of the legendary artistic circle living there at the time, including Picasso (both his great friend and his rival), Modigliani, Matisse, Leger and Braque. We see Rivera travel to Moscow to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution, and begin his lifelong flirtation with Communism. And by 1930, with his young wife, Frida Kahlo, Rivera finally makes his way to North America, where he is to work on three major mural projects - one of which, commissioned by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller for the new Rockefeller Center, will end in disaster and furious international controversy for the artist, and force his return to Mexico.

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Austin LaVigne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rest in peace, Diego. You would've loved lying on the internet and looking for a side piece on dating apps. I should've finished this book before writing an essay on Diego Rivera.

[Michael Flick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive biography of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Some black-and white and colored illustrations of his work, nice, but lots more would have been nicer. His complicated political involvement with Communism never served him or his work well. Admire his art, don’t be distracted by the foibles and follies and shortcomings of the man.

[Ximena · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book gave me a very interesting feeling apart from the fact that you get a super nice experience I think this is one of my favorite books I recommend it

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Been trying to slog through this one for months, one chapter at a time. Author spends WAY too much time theorizing about gaps in Diego's life story, then disputing his theories. I'll finish it eventually, but I feel a low star count coming on. I'm disappointed as I was extremely excited to read this. Here's hoping the "De Kooning" Bio is better.

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography. It somehow succeeds in multiple tasks: it follows a chronological order, inserts the artists in the different political and social environments he crossed in his tumultuous life, displays his ideological and personal contradictions -not in the least flattering-, showcases his artistic influences and rivalries, and even adds a touch of surrealism, all of this without a hint of condemnation or judgement. As biographies go, one can barely ask for more, well, may be except for more illustrations which are sorely missing where descriptions are provided. The style is fluid and the content leaves plenty of room for further exploration of Mexican history, Communist/ Capitalists plots, fresco techniques, feminism, the artistic Paris of the pre-war period, Frieda Khalo and the myriad other women that flocked to this toad of a man and gigantic art figure.

This biography has quite enriched my conception of the artist's work. I can now see clearly how Rivera's artistic exploration didn't amount to much until he married the frescoes of Giotto and other pre-Renaissance masters he saw in Italy with the revolutionary propaganda of Mexican politics and its social turmoil. His time at San Carlos Academy, Spain's Chicharro studio and the Paris of Pointillism, Cubism and Modigliani acted as a ferment which, combined with the frescoes, exploded in walls all over Mexico once Rivera found a medium and a message to go with it. Rivera's murals respond to a vision of society and history as a struggle forward, very much inspired by Marxism but in no way orthodox or even coherent. Pre-Colombian myth, pagan themes and traditional folklore swarm around Mexico's rich history or aimless bloody revolutions whose stated goal was to redistribute the land (to friends and family it seems), left wing propaganda and hatred towards conquistadors, the Church and capitalists.

Rivera's iconography has become emblematic. At some points in his career, he would fear he had fallen into a formula only to find new venues and subjects of inspiration through his trips and clients. Money was always in short supply. Partially because he was paid for his murals the same wage as a house painter due to an arrangement that considered artistic work on the same level as any other work -and ignored the strenuous added value of proper design and imagination. His capacity for work was "monstruous" but his manner with assistants was dictatorial. He had no qualms about taking over other artists assignments or using his connections with little ideological integrity and plenty of opportunism. He flirted with Communism but was a creature of the 'scientific' Porfiriato. As such, he constantly was at odds with Stalinist wranglers and party agendas. Not only that, he gladly accepted commissions form the highest scions of capitalism. He then proceeded to either piss them off or simply do what he was asked to do. That is true for almost all of his assignments regardless of the source of the money. In the end, only the art is left. I get the impression that the best way to look at a Rivera mural is to learn about the propaganda, characters and history behind it and then dismiss it all to enjoy the sheer exuberance of imagery and lore. In a way it is a blessing that Rivera's politics were so half-baked. It allowed for the art to dominate unhindered by party points and don't shy away from the simply gruesome or fantastic.

This disregard for anything but his art extended to his personal relationships. We learn about his childhood in Guanajuato and the family history. Rivera embellished his own "legend" abundantly. He ascribed to himself the feats of other with abandon. He neither organized University strikes, nor fought in the revolution nor was the President of the Communist party in Mexico but that didn't stop him from spreading these rumours to eager audiences. A family man, he wasn't. Much like Picasso, women served as bursts of erotic inspiration and support but faithfulness or commitment were never in the books. Why women of beauty and substance fall for people that are not only unattractive but also mistreat them shall remain the eternal enigma. The babies born of Dieguito's affairs didn't fare well either, Rivera saw them as an obstacle and had no compulsion to remain close. His much celebrated double marriage to Frieda Kahlo seems to have been a match made in hell which sparked a creative maelstrom of left-wing posing and great art.

In any case, Rivera survived to create some of the most arresting pieces of wall art the world had seen since the times of Masaccio. He imbued them with a distinct love for his culture and delighted in preaching about justice and the power of work even though little room was usually left for prophetic vision in his walls otherwise full of tragedy and denunciation. He was not alone in his taking to the walls. A. Siqueiros, X. Guerero, J.C. Orozco and others were instrumental in the mexican "muralist" tradition and their lives mingled with that of the great Rivera for good and for trouble. It makes one want to hop on a plane and take it all in in situ. For an excellent and more detailed review of the book please check https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2018...

[Mark]

Fascinating life of a man with true vision and passion. Very enjoyable to read with wonderful insight into the lives of artists of that period.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read! A great insight into the man and artist. I would recommend this for anybody interested in Diego Rivera or Frida Kahlo.

[Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography of Diego Rivera

[Ken Dowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woe be it to he who sets out to write Diego Rivera’s biography. You may think you have public comments, a few sparse writings and an autobiography to start with. But it likely turns out to be a pile of fantasies, reinventions and at best half truths.

Patrick Markham set about the task undeterred. There is little information about Rivera growing up in Guanajuato, partially because of the aforementioned problem. But a good chunk of this biography covers the time Rivera spent in Europe in the 1910’s as a young artist mostly under the sponsorship of the Mexican government. Rivera got to hobnob with the likes of Picasso, Cezanne and Modigliani. Following the fashion, he spent a few years being a Cubist. His relationship with most of these artists could best be described as frenemies.

During his time in Europe we get to see what his personal life is going to look like. He met his first wife Angelina Beloff and had his first child, Diego, who unfortunately died after 14 months. Writing later in life, Beloff described Rivera’s behavior at the time: “From the beginning of the child’s illness Diego would stay away from the house for days at a time…Diego knew that I was keeping a constant vigil over the baby in a last desperate effort to save his life; still he didn’t come home at all. When the child finally died Diego, naturally, was the one to have a nervous collapse.”

Markham summed up Rivera’s ten years in Europe: “He had lived exactly half his time and painted almost nothing that would be remembered. His son was dead. He had refused to acknowledge his daughter. He had abandoned two women and most of his friends.”

So it was off to Mexico and the start of a career painting Communist themed frescoes. Rivera described himself as a Communist throughout his life. But his short trip to Moscow ended when he was expelled and he was also tossed out by the Mexican Communist Party. Some of that was about the Trotskyist-Stalinist feud, something Rivera showed up at different times on both sides of.

His Communist sympathies didn’t stop him from accepting a commission to paint frescoes for the Pacific Stock Exchange building in San Francisco. Nor to accept the commission from Edsel Ford to paint the magnificent Detroit murals that included the auto production line. I think those frescoes on the Detroit Institute of Art are my favorite of all Rivera’s works.

If you’re like me, you’re reading this biography and waiting for the appearance of Frida Kahlo. It happens. A 20 something Kahlo marries this fat guy who is 20 years older, is known for bad personal hygiene and has ex-wives and their children on two continents.

My favorite story of the Rivera-Kahlo marriage involves the visit of the Trotskies. At the time Leon Trotsky was persona-non-grata in Russia and Stalin’s henchmen had been pursuing him throughout Europe. He was granted asylum in Mexico and he and his wife moved in with Diego and Frida. How did that work out? Well, Frida had an affair with Trotsky in the house next door where her sister Cristina lived. Diego had been paying for that house as he had been having an affair with Cristina.

Not too long after, Trotsky was assassinated and Diego and Frida got divorced. But they would marry a second time.

Markham does a good job of balancing his descriptions of Rivera’s personal life with those of his works. It is not an especially flattering biography as Rivera is not an especially likable man. But the author doesn’t let the cringe worthy elements of Rivera’s life detract from his artistic output. Rivera may best be summed up by something Beloff wrote: “He has never been a vicious man, but simply an amoral one. His painting is all he ever lived for and deeply loved.”

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever tried to paint fresco you'll know how phenomenal the work of Diego Rivera is. It is one of the most physically taxing forms of art, when done on a monumental scale. But what makes Rivera great are the ideas of communist and socialist revolution, and the Mexican people. Great artists are like surfers riding the ocean waves. They are adept passengers, but the true power is the ocean..

This book is really interesting, especially if you've heard of the Paris art scene of Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, and Gertrude Stein, and later, the revolutionary art world in Mexico. It's full of anecdotes and details about these personalities, these colorful surfers. The weakness of this book is that it tends to trivialize the ocean. It gives very little insight into World Was I, or the Mexican Revolution. The heroic struggles of Zapata and the Zapatistas for land rights, for example, are reduced to one woman's recollection of them as "bandits." So, while the author has done a ton of research, and we can learn a lot from this, he often comes off as a snarky, privileged travel writer pointing out the amusing spectacle of life and death class struggles.

Still, it is worth reading, and highly recommended--especially because most US American art history tends to be Eurocentric to the extreme.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great biography. Rivera was such a complex, confused and confusing man. This book give great insight into who he was as a painter and a man.

[Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give it a high 6/10

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would like to have read more about the art and Friday and less about his revolutionary politics.