Evening Twilight at Acapulco 1956

Diego Rivera made this small painting, Evening Twilight at Acapulco, with oil on canvas. I love the pure colour here and how the paint describes the scene. I can really feel the heat in this painting. The colours are intense; reds, yellows, and greens all pulled into a tight harmony. Look at the brushwork in the sky – Rivera doesn't blend much; he lays the colours down, allowing them to mix in our eyes. It's like he's trusting the process. The surface has a lovely, slightly scrubbed quality. This gives the painting a really tactile feel. The painting reminds me of Arthur Dove; a similar love for abstraction and nature, with a really interesting use of colour. For me, this painting is all about sensation, capturing a fleeting moment, and leaving space for our own experience.