Diego Rivera’s Dec. 8 birthday anniversary

Diego Rivera’s Dec. 8 birthday anniversary

By Lynda Carson - December 21, 2025

Around 13 days ago, it was the birthday anniversary of Diego Rivera, the famed muralist, painter, anti-fascist, and anti-imperialist. He was born on December 8, 1886, and died November 24, 1957. He made such an impression on the world, that people around the world have named their sons Diego as a direct result.

According to a Wikipedia report including his full name, in part it says, “Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo riˈβeɾa]; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957) was a Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the mural movement in Mexican and international art.”

Additionally, according to the Diego Rivera website, in part it says, “Diego Rivera, a memorable figure in 20th-century art, actively painted during the 50 years from 1907 to 1957. Mexican by birth, Rivera spent a good portion of his adult life in Europe and the United States as well as in his home in Mexico City. Early in his career, he dabbled in Cubism and later embraced Post-Impressionism, but his unique style and perspective are immediately recognizable as his own. He was involved in the world of politics as a dedicated Marxist and joined the Mexican Communist Party in 1922. He hosted Russian exile Leon Trotsky and his wife at his home in Mexico City in the 1930s. Lived in unsettled times and led a turbulent life, Diego Rivera, widely known for his Marxist leanings, along with Marxism Revolutionary Che Guevara and a small band of contemporary figures, has become a countercultural symbol of 20th century and created a legacy in the art that continues to inspire the imagination and mind.”

Diego Rivera had such an impact on people, apparently according to a 1976 report (below), the war criminal Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State for Richard Nixon, who killed millions in the name of fighting communism, went deep into Mexico to see a lot of art work by Diego Rivera.

November 29, 1976 report, called SECRETARY'S VISIT TO MEXICO: RIVERA AND SAENZ COLLECTIONS.

“TWO COLLECTIONS ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IN FOCUS AND
AMBIENCE. OLMEDO IS RIVERA PLUS ARTIFACTS WHILE THE SAENZ
IS ALMOST PURELY PRE-COLUMBIAN. THE LATTER IS UNQUESTION-
ABLY ONE OF THE FINEST ANYWHERE, WITH SEVERAL THOUSAND
PIECES (PRINCIPALLY MAYAN) ARRANGED IN QUASIMUSEUM
FORMAT. MRS. SAENZ HAS STUDIED ARCHEOLOGY AND IS ARTICULATE
ABOUT COLLECTION ALTHOUGH UNFORTUNATELY SHE IS PRESENTLY
OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

IN CONTRAST, OLMEDO HOME IS DEDICATED TO DIEGO RIVEA,
HIS WORK, HIS LIFE, HIS PERSONALITY. IT HAS A FINE PRE-
COLUMBIAN COLLECTION INCLUDING UNIQUE PIECES,
ARRANGED BY GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS, BUT LESS SPECTACULAR THAN
THE SAENZ. PIECES ARE GROUPED IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH EXQUISITE
SELECTION OF RIVERA PAINTINGS IN RESTORED LIVING AND DINING
ROOMS OF HER HOME.

IN EMBASSY'S VIEW, THE PRINCIPAL DIFFERENCE--BESIDES
THE INCLUDION OF RIVERA WORKS IN OLMEDO HOUSE--IS
ONE OF AMBIENCE. SAENZ DISPLAY IS MORE LIKE A MUSEUM
WHILE OLMEDO COLLECTION IS IN SIXTEENTH CENTURY HOME
SURROUNDED BY PERIOD FURNITURE AND EXUDES THE WARMTH
OF BOTH DIEGO RIVERA PAINTINGS AND THE PERSONALITY
OF THE COLORFUL MS. OLMEDO.

EVEN THOUGH MRS. SAENZ CURRENTLY OUT OF THE
COUNTRY, HER HUSBAND WOULD BE PLEASED TO OPEN THE
COLLECTION FOR THE SECRETARY AND MRS. KISSINGER.”

Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com

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