David Rockefeller, Jr.: Diego Rivera traveled to Moscow in 1927, for the 10th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, as a representative of the Mexican Communist party. He stayed for almost eight months—an experience that would have a profound impact on his life and work.
Curator, Leah Dickerman: This is a sketchbook that Rivera made during his trip to Moscow, and it shows you the events and celebrations. There's lots of massing crowds of people, bright banners and red flags. And you'll see that some of those elements appear in his later work.
Rivera had a very rocky relationship with the Communist party. But he was one of the most visible and vocal advocates of communism in North America.
There was a great amount of sympathy between Mexico and Russia in this moment. Both countries had just recently come through major political revolutions. And Russia had launched a state-sponsored ideological campaign. The Soviets recognized before most other countries that mass politics meant mass media. And that was a key model for Mexican muralism.