Edsel B. Ford 1932

Diego Rivera painted this portrait of Edsel B. Ford, using oil on canvas, portraying the man before an automotive blueprint. Here, the image of the car emerges as a symbol of modernity and progress, but it echoes forms found in earlier epochs, like the chariot, a vehicle of power and conquest. This motif resurfaces throughout history, adapting to new technologies, yet retaining its connection to primal drives. Like the winged sandals of Hermes, these vehicles represent our desire to conquer time and space. Consider how the act of design—represented by the tools on the table—mirrors the divine act of creation. This ambition to shape the world, to leave our mark, is a powerful psychological force. The blueprint is not merely a technical drawing but an aspiration to mold reality according to human will. This image, steeped in the aspirations and anxieties of modernity, resonates with echoes of the past.