Diego Rivera (1886-1957)

Diego Rivera: Catálogo General de Obra de Caballete, Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, 1989, p. 154, no. 1161, illustrated
Bertram Wolfe, Portrait of Mexico, New York, 1937, no. 50, illustrated

This painting is on very fine linen has been stretched onto a thin strainer and is in perfect condition. It has been behind glass for its whole life and should remain framed in that way. There are no retouches and the paint layer is not dirty or varnished; no varnish should be applied. The dryness of the pigment is intentional and this is a perfect example of a picture of these materials which has survived so beautifully. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Diego Rivera returned to Mexico in 1922 after his almost twenty year sojourn in Europe to become an integral part of what is sometimes called the Mexican Renaissance. The nationalistic movements that were sweeping the Americas: the Indigenismo movement in South America and the Ash Can School in New York, coincided with the great Mexican muralist movement which sought to capture a truly Mexican history and spirit. Rivera's work was soon recognized and he was awarded a one person exhibition in New York at the Museum of Modern Art in 1929 (the second artist to have been so honored, the first being Henri Matisse). 

Niña con Rebozo comes from a period when Rivera was already an internationally recognized artist. His subjects, especially at this period, were often the children of people who worked in his house or those of his friends. Niña con Rebozo could be Juanita Rosas who appears in several works from this period. Rivera returned time and time again to painting images of children as he felt that they expressed Mexico's future.