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Still Life

Date
October 1916
Classification
Paintings
Current Location
On View, Gallery 209
Dimensions
21 5/8 x 18 1/8 in. (54.9 x 46 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Morton D. May
Rights
© 2013 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Object Number
386:1955
NOTES
Although the surface of this still life looks sculptural, its appearance was created entirely with paint. Diego Rivera used thick layers of pigment to build up textures and three-dimensional effects throughout the image. This technique resulted in the mottled surface of the gray vase, the stippled texture of the red and blue sponge on the table, and even the smooth handle and soft bristles of the toothbrush.

Rivera lived in Paris from 1912 to 1917. The angular forms and tilted perspective in his still life reflect the influence of European avant-garde painting during this time.
By 1939 - 1955/01/28
E. Weyhe Gallery, New York, NY, USA [1]

1955/01/28 – 1955/12/08
Morton D. May (1914 – 1983), St. Louis, MO, USA, purchased from E. Weyhe Gallery [2]

1955/12/08
Saint Louis Art Museum, gift of Morton D. May [3]


Notes:
[1] Bertram D. Wolfe, Diego Rivera: His Life and Times, reprint of 1939 1st edition (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1943), xvii (cat. 27).

[2] Invoice, Weyhe Gallery to Morton D. May, January 10, 1955 [SLAM document files].

[3] Minutes, Administrative Board of Control, Board of Trustees, December 8, 1955.

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