Self-Portrait Dedicated to Irene Rich - Diego Rivera
Archival giclée
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Description
A 1941 self-portrait by Diego Rivera, featuring the artist holding a handwritten dedication to the actress Irene Rich.
This self-portrait by Diego Rivera, painted in 1941, captures the artist in a moment of direct engagement with the viewer. Rivera, a central figure in the Mexican muralist movement, presents himself here with a focus on his physical features and the specific context of the work's creation. The composition is tight, framing his head and shoulders against a warm, yellow background that draws attention to his expression and the spectacles he wears.
In his hands, Rivera holds a small piece of paper, which serves as a dedication to the American actress Irene Rich. The text on the paper is clearly legible, documenting the circumstances of the painting's origin in Santa Barbara, California. This inclusion of written text within the pictorial space is a characteristic device for Rivera, who often used such elements to ground his work in specific social or personal narratives. The brushwork is controlled, reflecting his training in European academic traditions, which he later synthesised with indigenous Mexican aesthetics and political themes.
Rivera's gaze is steady and analytical. The lighting is soft, yet it defines the contours of his face and the texture of his dark jacket. By choosing to depict himself holding the dedication, Rivera bridges the gap between the subject and the recipient, turning the portrait into a personal communication. The palette is dominated by warm tones, with the yellow backdrop contrasting against the deep red of his shirt and the dark tones of his coat. This work offers a glimpse into the artist's personal life during his time in the United States, away from the large-scale public murals that defined much of his career. It remains a clear example of his ability to balance technical precision with a sense of immediate, human presence.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Self-Portrait Dedicated to Irene Rich - Diego Rivera
Artist Biography
Diego Rivera
He studied at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City and spent fourteen years in Europe (1907-1921), absorbing Cubism in Paris and working alongside Picasso, Modigliani, and Mondrian. He returned to Mexico and found his subject: the history, labour, and people of his country, painted in a style that combined Renaissance fresco technique with pre-Columbian imagery and Marxist ideology.
The Detroit Industry Murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts (1932-33) are twenty-seven panels depicting the Ford Motor Company's River Rouge plant. The workers are heroic. The machinery is beautiful. Henry Ford's son Edsel commissioned them. The business community wanted them destroyed. They survived.
He married Frida Kahlo in 1929. They divorced in 1939. They remarried in 1940. The relationship was mutually unfaithful, politically intense, and artistically productive for both of them. Rivera said Kahlo was the better painter. Whether he believed this or was performing generosity is an open question.
He accepted a commission from Nelson Rockefeller for a mural in Rockefeller Center in 1933 and included a portrait of Lenin. Rockefeller asked him to remove it. Rivera refused. The mural was destroyed. Rivera repainted it in Mexico City. He died in 1957, at seventy.
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