Diego Rivera The Rural Teacher

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Movement Through Murals Diego Rivera’s The Rural Teacher laid before my eyes on the 26 of October. The lithograph is a print version of the fresco which is located in Mexico City. It was produced in 1932, the post revolution era of Mexico which gave way to the Mexican mural movement and it is approximately 13 3/4 x 17 in. The scene depicted in the work is of a small huddled up circle of people sitting on the floor of a rural outland location. A woman stands out in particular for she seems to be the one lecturing to the young and old. She holds a book in one hand and with the other she is making a gesture that suggests that she is indeed addressing something to the group. The individuals being portrayed in the work are dressed austerely, overalls and sombreros are seen. Their manner of dress implies that they pertain to the working …show more content…

The gently curving outline of the horses and people represent organic shapes. The geometric shapes are seen in objects like the triangular shaped sombreros and the rectangular book. Rivera also uses implied shapes by grouping the figures so that one can perceive the woman as the top of a triangle. The work is a landscape that includes the detailed natural environment. Due to the fact that the work is a black and white print, it displays a chiaroscuro effect. The light and dark values help to emphasize the focal point which in this case directs us to the center of the piece where the light regions are accentuated. Rivera employs emphasis on the center so that the attention is drawn to the teacher. By doing this the viewers can notice that “..the rural teacher is shown surrounded by children and adult, poorly dressed as herself, but animated with a vision of the future” (Folgarait 810).The Rural Teacher is symmetrically balanced for if divided vertically both sides

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