Diego Rivera paintings: hand-painted studies on canvas
Here you can order Diego Rivera paintings as hand-painted studies on canvas, including The Flower Carrier, The Flower Vendor and Day of the Dead. A study is a copy painted with a brush by a painter, in oil or acrylic depending on the work: you recognise the painting at once, but in its details and brushwork it differs slightly from the original. Every painting is made to order; stretching and framing are done in our workshop in Slovenia. You choose whether it arrives rolled, stretched on a frame or framed, and before dispatch we send you a photo of the finished painting.
“With this aim, my comrades and I painted in Mexico a long series of mural paintings which were useful for the masses of workers and peasants of Mexico.”
Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera – painter, known as an active communist and husband of Frida Kahlo, was born in 1886 in Mexico.
Rivera’s radical political beliefs, harsh attacks on the Church and the clergy, and his flirtation with Trotskyists and left-wing murderers made the painter a controversial figure even in communist circles. He developed his artistic style to a large extent by painting walls: he was characterized by the use of strong colors and simplified figures, and most often he painted Mayan natives in a political context.
In his younger years, Diego Rivera flirted with cubism, but later, thanks to the works of Cezanne, he turned more towards post-impressionism with simple shapes and patches of vivid colors.
Due to its importance in the artistic history of the country, the government of Mexico declared it a “monumentos historicos”. As of 2018, Diego Rivera holds the record for the highest price for a work by a Latin American artist. The painting Rivals from 1931 is part of the collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller. It was sold for 9.76 million US dollars.
Rivera paintings you can order as a study
Calla lilies and flower sellers. The Flower-Seller, The Flower Vendor 1, The Flower Vendor, The Flower Carrier and Flower Festival (1925) show Rivera’s white calla lilies, carried in huge bundles by Mexican men and women.
Children and everyday life. Niño indígena con tallos de maíz, Mother’s Helper, La Piñata, Dance in Tehuantepec and Retrato de Ignacio show Mexican children, families and dances in warm, earthy colours.
Mexico, history and traditions. Day of the Dead (1944), Desnudo con alcatraces (1944), Dictatorship, The Sugar Mill, Canyon Crossing and Germination. All 16 Rivera studies are in the list on this page.
What size to choose
Each Rivera study comes in 7 to 9 sizes, from about 30 × 40 cm to more than 5 metres for the large mural-like works; the exact sizes are on each painting’s page. Rivera’s rounded, calm figures suit a living room or dining room; above a sofa or sideboard, choose a painting about two thirds as wide as the furniture below it. Prices start at 108 €. If no size fits, we paint the painting to measure: see custom paintings. On request we also prepare a free preview of the painting in your room.
Frequently asked questions
What is a study of a Diego Rivera painting?
A copy painted by hand by a painter, not a print. Rivera’s large, simple forms and warm colours are laid down by each painter’s own hand, so in its details the painting always differs a little from the original. That is why we call it a study: the finished painting is clearly recognisable, but not identical to the original in every detail.
Is the painting done in oil?
It depends on the work: some paintings we paint in oil, others in acrylic. Either way it is real paint, applied to the canvas by hand.
How is the painting shipped?
Rolled in a tube, stretched on a frame (2.5 cm bars) or framed: you choose when you order. Stretching and framing are done in our workshop in Slovenia.
Do I see the painting before it ships?
Yes. When the painting is finished we send you a photo, and we ship it once you confirm.
How much does a Rivera study cost?
From 108 €. The price depends on the painting and the size you choose; each painting’s page shows the price for every size.
How long does delivery take?
Mother’s Helper is in stock in 60 × 40, 70 × 50 and 80 × 60 cm and leaves within 6 working days. Every other Rivera study is painted to order and arrives in 15 to 45 working days.