M.S. Rau is committed to offering fine art of the highest caliber and we seek paintings and sculpture by historically renowned artists, often with impressive provenance. The large majority of our works of art come from private. . .
Buy with Confidence
At M.S. Rau, we are committed to building a long-term, rewarding relationship with each and every client. That’s why your purchase is backed by our 125% guarantee.
Learn MoreDelfina y Dimas by Diego Rivera
- This beautiful mother-and-child portrait by Diego Rivera is among his most intimate works
- Delfina was a beloved member of the Rivera household, and Rivera and Frida Kahlo were godparents to
- Painted after Rivera's return to Mexico from the United States, it reflects his artistic evolution
- View the Dossier
- Get complete item description here
$1,850,000
Item No.
32-0778
To speak to one of our experts, call 1-888-711-8084
Description
Diego Rivera
1886-1957 | Mexican
Delfina y Dimas
Signed and dated 1935
Tempera on masonite
In the intimate masterwork Delfina y Dimas, the great Diego Rivera illustrates all of his genius in a depiction of profound tenderness. Here, Delfina Rosas—a housemaid in the Rivera household—cradles her son Dimas, for whom Rivera served as godfather. Created after Rivera's return from the United States, this work reveals an artist at the peak of his. . .
1886-1957 | Mexican
Delfina y Dimas
Signed and dated 1935
Tempera on masonite
In the intimate masterwork Delfina y Dimas, the great Diego Rivera illustrates all of his genius in a depiction of profound tenderness. Here, Delfina Rosas—a housemaid in the Rivera household—cradles her son Dimas, for whom Rivera served as godfather. Created after Rivera's return from the United States, this work reveals an artist at the peak of his. . .
Read More
Diego Rivera
1886-1957 | Mexican
Delfina y Dimas
Signed and dated 1935
Tempera on masonite
In the intimate masterwork Delfina y Dimas, the great Diego Rivera illustrates all of his genius in a depiction of profound tenderness. Here, Delfina Rosas—a housemaid in the Rivera household—cradles her son Dimas, for whom Rivera served as godfather. Created after Rivera's return from the United States, this work reveals an artist at the peak of his powers. The luminous palette reflects Mexico's brilliant light and cultural vibrancy, while his masterful composition draws us into the sacred space between mother and child.
Though best known for his monumental public art, Rivera uses his innovative "portable mural" technique here, applying it to masonite for exceptional color stability and vibrancy reminiscent of traditional fresco methods. This rare and pioneering approach is documented in a letter Rivera wrote to the painting's original collector, expressing his deep affection for the work and providing guidance on preserving this unique medium. Beyond its striking composition, the painting holds profound personal significance. Delfina was an integral part of Rivera’s household, and he painted her numerous times from childhood into young adulthood. This is the only known portrait of Delfina with her infant son, who tragically passed away two years after the painting was completed. The tenderness of their pose, combined with Rivera’s masterful use of color and form, conveys an intimate bond of love and trust between the artist and his sitters, made palpable through his groundbreaking techniques.
Diego Rivera, born in Guanajuato City, Mexico in 1886, demonstrated an extraordinary aptitude for drawing at a young age. He embarked upon his formal art education at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico, before relocating to Paris in 1907 to immerse himself in the rich artistic milieu of Montparnasse. It was there that he was steeped in the burgeoning movement of Cubism, and his oeuvre fully embraced the revolutionary artistic movement. His works attracted the attention of the world’s most prestigious art patrons, including Nelson Rockefeller, for whom he painted a controversial mural in 1934. Rivera frequently selected children as the primary subjects of his portraiture, casting them as symbols of hope for Mexico's bright future. The young sitters, like Delfina and Dimas, embodied the hope of the improved social climate that emerged in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Through the perceptive gazes of his subjects, Rivera explores the tension between the purity of youth and the austere realities of life in rural Mexico.
Framed: 31 1/2“ high x 23 3/8” wide (80 x 59.4 cm)
View the Dossier
Literature:
Bertram D. Wolfe, Portrait of Mexico, New York, 1937, plate 42, illus.
Hans F. Secker, Diego Rivera, Dresden, 1957, plate 231, illus.
Bernard S. Myers, Mexican Painting in our Time, Oxford University; 1956, illus. n. 79 p. 181
Selden Rodman, “Full of Vigor and Contradiction, Mexican Painting in our Time,” New York Times Book Review, Jan. 6, 1957, illus. p.7
“Los Ninos Mexicanos Pintados por Diego Rivera,” ARTES DE MEXICO, N. 27, Vol V, Ano VII / 1959, illus. n.35
Helga Prignitz-Poda, Frida Kahlo, Das Gesamtwerk, Frankfurt am Main, 1988, illus.
Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Diego Rivera Catalogo General de Obra de Caballete, Mexico, 1989, no.1166, illus.
Prentice Hall, Literature/Silver (The Pearl by John Steinbeck), Englewood Cliffs; 1989, p. 699, illus. in color
Harcourt Brace Janovich, Adventures in Appreciation(The Pearl by John Steinbeck), Orlando; 1989. illus. in color, p.824
Salomon Grimberg, Frida Kahlo, The Still Lifes, Merrell Publishers Limited, 2008, illus. in black and white, p. 44
Exhibited:
Mexico, Museo Nacional de Artes Plasticas, INBA, Diego Rivera, 50 Años de su labor artistica, 1949, no. 528, illus. (credit: Private Collector, New York)
Mexico, Museo Rufino Tamayo, Diego Rivera, Sept. – Nov., 1983
Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, Diego Rivera: A Retrospective, Feb.10 – April 27, 1986. Fig. 195, illus. in color.
This exhibition traveled to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia
Nagoya, Nagoya City Art Museum, La Exposición Renacimiento en el Arte Mexicano, May 27 – July 1, 1989, illus. in color.
This exhibition traveled to Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo and the Fukuoka City Art Museum
Mexico City, Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA. Diego Rivera, Arte y Revolucion (Art and Revolution), Dec. 1999-March 2000. Illus. in color p. 339 in both English and Spanish catalogues.
This work was exhibited only in the Los Angeles venue at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, May 30-Aug. 16, 1999.
Provenance:
Galería Central de Arte, Mexico City (Misrachi), 1935
Collection of Mrs. James Henle, New York, 1935
By descent to Mr. Guy Henle, Scarsdale, New York
By descent to his son, Richard Henle
Mary-Anne Martin|Fine Art, New York, 1994
Private Collection, New York
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
1886-1957 | Mexican
Delfina y Dimas
Signed and dated 1935
Tempera on masonite
In the intimate masterwork Delfina y Dimas, the great Diego Rivera illustrates all of his genius in a depiction of profound tenderness. Here, Delfina Rosas—a housemaid in the Rivera household—cradles her son Dimas, for whom Rivera served as godfather. Created after Rivera's return from the United States, this work reveals an artist at the peak of his powers. The luminous palette reflects Mexico's brilliant light and cultural vibrancy, while his masterful composition draws us into the sacred space between mother and child.
Though best known for his monumental public art, Rivera uses his innovative "portable mural" technique here, applying it to masonite for exceptional color stability and vibrancy reminiscent of traditional fresco methods. This rare and pioneering approach is documented in a letter Rivera wrote to the painting's original collector, expressing his deep affection for the work and providing guidance on preserving this unique medium. Beyond its striking composition, the painting holds profound personal significance. Delfina was an integral part of Rivera’s household, and he painted her numerous times from childhood into young adulthood. This is the only known portrait of Delfina with her infant son, who tragically passed away two years after the painting was completed. The tenderness of their pose, combined with Rivera’s masterful use of color and form, conveys an intimate bond of love and trust between the artist and his sitters, made palpable through his groundbreaking techniques.
Diego Rivera, born in Guanajuato City, Mexico in 1886, demonstrated an extraordinary aptitude for drawing at a young age. He embarked upon his formal art education at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico, before relocating to Paris in 1907 to immerse himself in the rich artistic milieu of Montparnasse. It was there that he was steeped in the burgeoning movement of Cubism, and his oeuvre fully embraced the revolutionary artistic movement. His works attracted the attention of the world’s most prestigious art patrons, including Nelson Rockefeller, for whom he painted a controversial mural in 1934. Rivera frequently selected children as the primary subjects of his portraiture, casting them as symbols of hope for Mexico's bright future. The young sitters, like Delfina and Dimas, embodied the hope of the improved social climate that emerged in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Through the perceptive gazes of his subjects, Rivera explores the tension between the purity of youth and the austere realities of life in rural Mexico.
Framed: 31 1/2“ high x 23 3/8” wide (80 x 59.4 cm)
View the Dossier
Literature:
Bertram D. Wolfe, Portrait of Mexico, New York, 1937, plate 42, illus.
Hans F. Secker, Diego Rivera, Dresden, 1957, plate 231, illus.
Bernard S. Myers, Mexican Painting in our Time, Oxford University; 1956, illus. n. 79 p. 181
Selden Rodman, “Full of Vigor and Contradiction, Mexican Painting in our Time,” New York Times Book Review, Jan. 6, 1957, illus. p.7
“Los Ninos Mexicanos Pintados por Diego Rivera,” ARTES DE MEXICO, N. 27, Vol V, Ano VII / 1959, illus. n.35
Helga Prignitz-Poda, Frida Kahlo, Das Gesamtwerk, Frankfurt am Main, 1988, illus.
Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Diego Rivera Catalogo General de Obra de Caballete, Mexico, 1989, no.1166, illus.
Prentice Hall, Literature/Silver (The Pearl by John Steinbeck), Englewood Cliffs; 1989, p. 699, illus. in color
Harcourt Brace Janovich, Adventures in Appreciation(The Pearl by John Steinbeck), Orlando; 1989. illus. in color, p.824
Salomon Grimberg, Frida Kahlo, The Still Lifes, Merrell Publishers Limited, 2008, illus. in black and white, p. 44
Exhibited:
Mexico, Museo Nacional de Artes Plasticas, INBA, Diego Rivera, 50 Años de su labor artistica, 1949, no. 528, illus. (credit: Private Collector, New York)
Mexico, Museo Rufino Tamayo, Diego Rivera, Sept. – Nov., 1983
Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, Diego Rivera: A Retrospective, Feb.10 – April 27, 1986. Fig. 195, illus. in color.
This exhibition traveled to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia
Nagoya, Nagoya City Art Museum, La Exposición Renacimiento en el Arte Mexicano, May 27 – July 1, 1989, illus. in color.
This exhibition traveled to Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo and the Fukuoka City Art Museum
Mexico City, Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA. Diego Rivera, Arte y Revolucion (Art and Revolution), Dec. 1999-March 2000. Illus. in color p. 339 in both English and Spanish catalogues.
This work was exhibited only in the Los Angeles venue at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, May 30-Aug. 16, 1999.
Provenance:
Galería Central de Arte, Mexico City (Misrachi), 1935
Collection of Mrs. James Henle, New York, 1935
By descent to Mr. Guy Henle, Scarsdale, New York
By descent to his son, Richard Henle
Mary-Anne Martin|Fine Art, New York, 1994
Private Collection, New York
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Read Less
Specifications
| Maker: | Rivera, Diego |
| Period: | 1919-Present |
| Type: | Paintings |
| Style: | Modernism |
Discover More
Rivera, Diego
Diego Rivera, the towering figure of 20th-century art, carved a niche that transcended geographical and cultural boundaries. Renowned primarily for his profound contributions to mural painting, Rivera’s vibrant, large-scale public works helped define...
Read More
What is Social Realism?
Social Realism in Art Although Social Realism took the American art world by storm following World War I, the social realist art tradition was first seen in France decades before its American expression. Unsurprisingly,...
Read More
Buy with Confidence
At M.S. Rau, we are committed to building a long-term, rewarding relationship with each and every client. That’s why your purchase is backed by our 125% guarantee.
Learn More
