Portrait of Evangelina Rivas de De la Chica, The lady from Oaxaca 1949

Diego Rivera's portrait of Evangelina Rivas de De la Chica, or The Lady from Oaxaca, is a painting with such a direct and honest style of painting. Rivera's application of color, particularly in the rendering of Evangelina's dress, feels very process-oriented, like he's layering hues and tones to build depth. The material aspects of this piece are really interesting. You've got this combination of thin, almost translucent washes, especially in the shawl, contrasting with more opaque areas. The flowers on the dress are so striking! Each petal and leaf feels almost modular, as if Rivera is building up this image with basic shapes, making each form comprehensible. The woman in the painting is facing slightly to the left, which gives the picture an off-kilter feel. Rivera's painting reminds me of the work of Henri Matisse because it is bold and uses very stylized forms. Like his work, this portrait plays with form and color to create something beyond representation.