Diego Rivera Google Doodle Celebrates Artist's 125th Birthday

Google's Thursday homepage doodle honors the 125th birthday of Mexican artist Diego Rivera, who was known for his elaborate and politically charged murals, as well as his turbulent relationship with artist wife Frida Kahlo.  The doodle features Rivera hard at work on a mural chronicling Mexico's cultural transformation—from its agrarian roots to bustling cities complete with skyscrapers and airplanes—with Google's logo spelled out in the background.  The artist's full name is Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez. He was born in Guanajuato, Mexico in 1886, but relocated to Paris in 1907 to study some of the great artists. Hedabbled in cubism, but eventually settled on Italian frescos as his medium of choice, bringing the style back to Mexico, according to PBS.  Rivera's art focused on "the physical process of human development and the effects of technological progress," PBS said. As a Marxist, he wanted his work accessible to all, not just those who wandered art museums. Thus, he painted many a fresco on public buildings and university walls, most of which touched on Mexican history.

Despite his political leanings, Rivera had several encounters with some high-profile American businessmen, such as Henry Ford, who commissioned him for a mural at the Detroit Institute of Arts. But Rivera's decision to include Lenin in a mural at the RCA Center at Rockefeller Center prompted the Rockefellers to have the work destroyed when Rivera refused to remove Lenin's image, PBS said.

In his personal life, Rivera was described as quite the womanizer. He married Kahlo, his third wife, in 1929 at the age of 43; she was 22. During their lifetimes, Rivera was the more well-known artist, but as The Guardian noted recently, "Kahlo's popularity has now entirely eclipsed Rivera's, a turn of events that would have stunned them both."  Earlier this year, the Pallant House in Chichester, England hosted an exhibit of both artists' works, the first time pieces from Kahlo and Rivera were shown together in the U.K., the Guardian said.  In the U.S., Rivera murals are currently on display at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) until May 14. MoMA first hosted Rivera's work for a five-week run from Dec. 22, 1931, to Jan. 27, 1932. MoMA also has full-scale drawings, smaller working drawings, and archival materials, including designs for the ill-fated Rockefeller project.  Rivera passed away on Nov. 24, 1957.  For more on Google's doodles, see the slideshow below. One of the company's more popular doodles was a playable image in honor of musician Les Paul, which eventually got its own standalone site. The company has also honoredGumby creator Art Clokey, Muppets creator Jim Henson, and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.  Earlier this year, it was revealed that Google obtained a patent for its popular homepage doodles, covering "systems and methods for enticing users to access a Web site."

source:http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397355,00.asp