Head of a Young Girl

Best known as a muralist, Diego Rivera was also fascinated by portraiture. Critic Marta Traba credits him with fostering the genre of realistic social portraiture in Latin America. Before coming home to lead Mexico's burgeoning mural project in 1921, Rivera had apprenticed in Europe for 14 years. The rounded contours and solidity of this portrait attest to the influence of Cezanne, whom Rivera greatly admired. The faces of women and children were popular themes in his drawings and oils.