Man, Controller of the Universe
Encyclopedia
Man, Controller of the Universe is a 1934 mural
by Diego Rivera
in the Palacio de Bellas Artes
in Mexico City
. Its full title is Man, Controller of the Universe or Man in the Time Machine (Spanish
: El hombre controlador del universo o El hombre en la máquina del tiempo).
The mural is a recreation of Man at the Crossroads
, which was commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller
for the Rockefeller Center
. Rockefeller had the original destroyed when Rivera refused to remove a portrait of Lenin from the mural. In Man, Controller of the Universe, Diego Rivera presents a myriad of images, including those of Leon Trotsky
and Lenin. All of these images represent the state of the world in the 1930s.
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
by Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez was a prominent Mexican painter born in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, an active communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo . His large wall works in fresco helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in...
in the Palacio de Bellas Artes
Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes is the most important cultural center in Mexico City as well as the rest of the country of Mexico...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Its full title is Man, Controller of the Universe or Man in the Time Machine (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: El hombre controlador del universo o El hombre en la máquina del tiempo).
The mural is a recreation of Man at the Crossroads
Man at the Crossroads
Man at the Crossroads was a mural by Diego Rivera.The Rockefellers wanted to have a mural put on the ground-floor wall of Rockefeller Center. Nelson Rockefeller wanted Henri Matisse or Pablo Picasso to do it because he favored their modern style, but neither was available...
, which was commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
for the Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
. Rockefeller had the original destroyed when Rivera refused to remove a portrait of Lenin from the mural. In Man, Controller of the Universe, Diego Rivera presents a myriad of images, including those of Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
and Lenin. All of these images represent the state of the world in the 1930s.
