Portrait of Cuca Bustamante 1946

Diego Rivera made this portrait of Cuca Bustamante with oil on canvas, and when you look at it, you see a world of blues, yellows and reds, the colours really sing out. I imagine him carefully building up the colours, pushing them around and creating a scene that feels both intimate and timeless. When you think of Rivera, you think of someone interested in people, interested in places, interested in politics. I wonder what he might have been thinking as he painted her. It looks as though he carefully observed the textures and patterns of her clothing, and how they sit against the vivid blue background. And what about the texture of the quilted floor covering, a soft landing for bare feet. The folded hands, the solemn face. I can really appreciate the way Rivera uses colour and form to capture a sense of the sitter’s presence. It really reminds me of the way other artists like Frida Kahlo explored identity and culture in their own portraits. I believe artists are in conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another's creativity. Painting is a form of embodied expression that is always open to many ways of seeing and feeling.