Dreaming With His Eyes Open: A Life of Diego Rivera by Patrick Manham

 

Hello my lovely readers!

Diego Rivera. The man. The myth. The legend.

I'm sure if you've heard of the great Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, then you know of her turbulent relationship and marriage with fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera.

However, I feel that's usually people's extent of Rivera. I was the same way! One day, while I was in my favorite used bookstores McKay's, I found this biography on him for 75 cents. I didn't know anything about Rivera, so I decided to pick it up. I'm so glad I did!

SUMMARY
This is the first biography of Diego Rivera in more than 40 years. Author Patrick Marnham covers his life from beginning to end, starting off in rural Mexico, then heading to Spain, Italy and most importantly Paris where his life and art would change forever. We see him as he becomes a father, a husband and as he interacts with other legendary artists like Picasso, Modigliani and Leger.

The reader then goes to Moscow, Russia to understand Rivera's "lifelong flirtation with Communism." We see his triumphs and failures in both Mexico and the U.S. and of course, we see his side of his marriage to Frida Kahlo.

MY THOUGHTS
This was a fantastic read. Rivera was a complicated, complex and confusing/confused man, in my opinion. I got the sense that he was looking for a certain place to belong. He had it in Paris, until a messy situation found him leaving the city and never returning. He had it with the Communist Party, until he was kicked out.  He had it with Trotskyism until he discovered the relationship between Frida and Trotsky. It's like he never really found his tribe, in politics, relationships or family.

It's sad to hear how he never acknowledged his children and didn't have a relationship with them. It was equally as sad to hear how he had such a dismissive attitude to his mother. It seems like he just came out of the womb with that attitude to his mom...but I think losing his twin brother maybe had something to do with it.

It was an excellent and well-written biography. It was amazing to learn about the other half of the Frida/Diego relationship and to learn about who Rivera was as a whole man. Highly recommend.