Rivera, Diego:

$10,000 · Offered by William Reese Company · No longer available

TYPED LETTER, SIGNED, TO RAYMOND HOOD, ARCHITECT OF ROCKEFELLER CENTER, REGARDING PREPARATIONS FOR THE RIVERA'S CONTROVERSIAL FRESCO (LATER DESTROYED), "MAN AT THE ... A truly remarkable letter from the Mexican artist to the architect Raymond Hood, whose crowning achievement was Rockefeller Center. Rivera, famous for his murals, was invited by the Rockefellers to contribute a mural based on the theme, "Man at the Crossroads Looking with Hope and High Vision to the Choosing of a New and Better Future." Rivera's finished work featured, among other things, a portrait of Vladimir Lenin as well as images of oppressed workers. In the end, the Rivera finished fresco was removed and destroyed on the order of the Rockefellers in February 1934. Rivera never worked in the United States again. In this remarkable letter, Rivera writes: "This letter will be presented to you by my friend and assistant Mr. Arthur Niendorff to whom I have given all the necessary instructions for supervising the work of preparing the walls for the fresco which I am to execute in Rockefeller Center."I have seen the last blue prints preparation of the wall and 1 am completely in accord with the new plans in the form that you propose them."I have also asked my friend Mr. Niendorff to speak of the question of the workers to be employed. In order to avoid all difficulties Mr. Niendorff will have sole charge of the continuel [sic] supervision of the work to be executed by the plasterers and other workers who are reg

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