Dancer Resting 1939

Diego Rivera made "Dancer Resting", in oil on canvas, now residing at the Dolores Olmedo Collection. I can imagine Rivera, brush in hand, circling around the model, working to capture her gravity. Look at the deep blue background, almost indigo, contrasting with the warmth of her skin. See how the colors aren't blended so much as built up, layer upon layer? Rivera probably had to mix a range of earth tones to get the skin so alive. The weight of the model's body is so present. I can feel the dancer's legs pushing into that blue cushion. His artistic influences were so diverse, from Cubism to the Italian Renaissance, and you can feel them all jostling here. Rivera was in conversation with European traditions, but he also had a deep commitment to Mexican identity. It’s not fixed, it’s restless. It asks more than it answers.