The Flower Vendor- Diego Rivera
Keywords: Balance, Fresco, Mural,
Activity: Class Mural of “Jobs we do
Objectives: Students will gain an understanding of the artist
Diego Rivera and the concepts of a Mural
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About the artist:
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Considered the greatest Mexican painter of the twentieth century, Diego
Rivera had a profound effect on the international art world. Among his many
contributions, Rivera is credited with the reintroduction of fresco painting
into modern art and architecture.
His radical political views and tempestuous romance with the painter Frieda
Kahlo were then, and remain today, a source of public intrigue.
In a series of visits to America, from 1930 to 1940, Rivera brought his
unique vision to public spaces and galleries, enlightening and inspiring artists
and laymen alike.
Diego Rivera was born in Guanajuato, Mexico in 1886. He began to study
painting at an early age and in 1907 moved to Europe. Spending most of the
next fourteen years in Paris, Rivera encountered the works of such great
masters as Cézanne, Gauguin, Renoir, and Matisse.
Rivera was searching for a new form of painting, one that could express the
complexities of his day and still reach a wide audience. It was not until he
began to study the Renaissance frescoes of Italy that he found his medium.
It was with a vision of the future of the fresco and with a strong belief in
public art that Rivera returned to Mexico.
Frescoes are mural paintings done on fresh plaster. Using the fresco form in
universities and other public buildings, Rivera was able to introduce his work
into the everyday lives of the people.
Rivera, however, did not fare nearly so well in his association with the
Rockefellers in New York City. In 1933 the Rockefellers commissioned
Rivera to paint a mural for the lobby of the RCA building in Rockefeller
Center. In the painting, Rivera included a scene of a giant May Day
demonstration of workers marching with red banners. It was not the subject
matter of the panel that inflamed the patrons, but the clear portrait of
Lenin leading the demonstration. When Rivera refused to remove the
portrait, he was ordered to stop and the painting was destroyed.
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That same year, Rivera used the money from the Rockefellers to create a
mural for the Independent Labor Institute that had Lenin as its central
figure.
Q & A:
*Have you ever seen people selling flowers? What kind of flowers were they?
How many did they have? What else did you notice about these people?
*Read and think about the story told by this artwork. What do you think is
happening? What might happen next?
* Imagine what it would be like to do this type of work. Think about the things that
a flower vendor might do during a day’s work. Share your thoughts with the class.
* Look closely at this image. Where do you see lines and shapes in this image?
Beginning with the bottom bunch of lilies, follow lines in a clockwise spiral
direction to the middle of the image. Why do you think the artist chose to do this?
(He use implied lines to create rhythm and movement so the eye would travel to
the central part of the composition.)
* What differences do you see between the colors in the foreground and in the
background? (The foreground is bright and contrasted against a dark
background.)
* Is this a balanced composition? How do you know this?
*Where do you see patterns in this painting? Discuss. Why do you think there are
so many?
*Is this a friendly or scary image? Discuss why you feel this way.
* Why do you think the artist chose to paint The Flower Vendor? Discuss.
Vocabulary:
Balance – a principle of design. The arrangement of elements in a work of art
(including size and number of objects) that achieves a sense of equality.
Fresco – painting done with water-based paint on fresh plaster so that as it dries,
the colors are absorbed into the wall.
Mural – a large painting that covers a wall or is painted directly on to a wall.
Hands-on Activity for Students:
Supplies:
Drawing Paper (2/student)
Crayons (found in class)
Pencils (found in class)
Scissors (found in class)
Glue (few in bin – should have in class!)
Large sheet of Butcher Paper (in workroom– cut the size you want your “Mural” to
be… if you want it “Fancy” be sure to have it ready before class… You can always
have the kids color between their pix afterwards if you’d like…
Project Description:
1. Give each student a sheet of the Drawing paper.
2. Explain to the students that they are to think about a “Job” they do… It could
be a chore they do at home (Feed Dog, weed garden, play with baby brother….)
or it could be an activity (Soccer player, student, piano player). Make sure they
DON’T TELL THEIR NEIGHBOR WHAT THEY ARE THINKING! (we don’t want
everyone doing the same) this is why I do not have an example of this one! Last
time I had a soccer player and EVERYONE did that!!!)
3. Have them lightly Sketch out this “Job” onto their papers, trying to fill the
paper up as much as possible.
4. When the sketch is done, they can start to color it in.
5. When coloring is completed they may cut out the pictures, but be sure they
leave a large border around their objects so nothing gets accidentally cut off…
Have them sign their FIRST NAME on the front of the piece.
6. Have the kids bring their pieces over to the Butcher Paper and Glue their
“Masterpieces” onto the Mural. Let them be creative, but ask them to be
respectful of other students work and not cover other pieces up or ruin other
students’ pieces.
7. If time and space permits, you may want to have the students create another
“Job” to add to the Mural… Or you may want to have them fill in spaces with
crayon or have them write about their job around it?...Your Choice.
8. Distribute Parent Letters to go home with the kids. After the Mural is taken
down, you can then cut out the individual “Masterpieces” and send them home…
again, its your choice!!
Please fill out the Lesson Completed Section of Binder and ensure that the binder
is put back in bin for the next class, thank you.