Episode 9: Rockefeller Center and Diego Rivera

[00:00:00] Welcome to English, please, the podcast where we explore captivating topics in under 10 minutes, in clear, intermediate English. I’m your host, Christopher. I live and work in New York City, and I’m a language enthusiast who has always been interested in the most effective ways to learn a new language. Thank you for joining me for another episode, designed to help you improve your English listening skills and vocabulary. 

Early this week, I was at Rockefeller Center here in New York City. If you’ve ever visited New York City, maybe you’ve been to Rockefeller Center. It’s a famous group of buildings located in the middle of Manhattan in New York City. It was established by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who, like his father, was [00:01:00] among the wealthiest individuals in history. NBC, which is a major television network in the United States. Is located at Rockefeller Center. You’ll also find a very famous ice rink, restaurants, stores, and Radio City Music Hall, a popular theater. During the holidays each year, you can also see the enormous Christmas tree there. 

When I was at Rockefeller Center this week, I began thinking about the history of this magnificent place. Specifically, the history surrounding the important artist, Diego Rivera, and the mural he was hired to create there when the complex was being built. It’s a fascinating story. And I’d love to tell you a little bit about it. 

As with all episodes, this one is just the right length for practicing your listening skills in one sitting. This means you can improve your English whenever you have a few minutes, [00:02:00] without needing a lot of time. And don’t forget—the transcript is available and is completely free. You can use it to help in case you miss anything. The link is available in the episode notes. Okay. Let’s get started. 

Maybe you’re familiar with Diego Rivera, one of the most famous artists from Mexico. He was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, and he studied art there. When he was 21 years old, he left Mexico to live and study in Europe, mainly in Spain and France. During that time Rivera met important artists like Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondrian. Like many artists of the 1920s, Diego Rivera was a leftist, and he joined major social and political movements in Europe that focused on the rights of workers and the poor, during a time of prosperity after world war one, [00:03:00] and before the Great Depression. In 1922, Rivera joined the communist party. 

In 1929 at the age of 35, and after living in Europe for 14 years, Diego Rivera returned to Mexico, partly because of the social movements associated with the Mexican Revolution. At that time, his style had become a combination of the techniques he had learned in Europe and the pre-Columbian style of Mexico and the Americas. 

So, here we have our two main characters: first, one of the wealthiest capitalists in history, John D Rockefeller, Jr., and second, a great artist who was also a communist, Diego Rivera. Maybe it’s true—opposites attract. 

John D Rockefeller, Jr. Began the planning of the Rockefeller center complex [00:04:00] during the 1920s. Around the same time. The great depression began. Rockefeller a patron of modern art. Wanted a grand mural in the lobby of the main building. He and his adult children considered Diego Rivera, as well as Pablo Picasso and Henry Matisse for this job. These artists were the greatest and most important artists of the time. 

After a retrospective at the museum of modern art in New York city in 1931, Rivera received commissions throughout the United States and his wife, the brilliant artist, Frida Kahlo, traveled with him. 

In 1932, John D Rockefeller, Jr. hired Rivera to do his largest public project yet:. a massive mural in the lobby of the main building at Rockefeller Center, the RCA Building. John’s children were already friends with [00:05:00] Rivera and they helped to hire him. 

John D Rockefeller, Jr. gave Rivera a theme: “Man at the crossroads, looking towards a hopeful future.” Rockefeller wanted the mural to portray a modern man at a crossroads, looking ahead without certainty, but with the optimism and vision to reach a new and better future. Rockefeller’s expectations were outlined in a three-page contract. Rivera presented a sketch that expressed a theme that was satisfactory for both Rockefeller and for Rivera. The proposal was for a 63-foot mural. With workers celebrating various facets of modern life. Industry science, socialism, and capitalism. 

While Rivera was in New York, many members of communist and leftist [00:06:00] organizations were very angry with him because Rivera had accepted work from the Rockefeller family, who were famous capitalists. They believed that Rivera was betraying his beliefs, and Rivera was clearly bothered by this criticism. 

One day, Rockefeller’s son, Nelson, visited when the mural was nearly finished. During this visit Nelson saw that the mural showed communism on one side and capitalism on the other side. The side that showed communism, appeared peaceful and orderly, and Vladimir Lenin was in the center, unifying people, joining their hands. In contrast the side, showing capitalism appeared violent and frenzied, and John D Rockefeller, Jr. was in the center, drinking alcohol. Additionally, there were women’s smoking [00:07:00] and drinking, which was shocking at the time, and there were police on horses, beating protesters, and soldiers with weapons. 

This was different from the original sketch and Nelson was angry. For four months Nelson and his father negotiated with Rivera to have Lenin and Rockefeller removed from the mural. However, Rivera said his intention was clear from the start, and he refused to make any changes. Rivera gave the Rockefellers an ultimatum. He basically told him that he would prefer that they physically destroy the mural, than destroy his idea. Nelson Rockefeller paid Rivera, the full fee of $21,000, and he told Rivera never to return again to the site. 

A few nights later, two of Diego Rivera’s assistants were [00:08:00] walking in the area and they saw a construction crew destroying the mural. 

In 1933, Rivera returned to Mexico with photographs of his mural before it was destroyed. Using these photos, he created a replica in Mexico City. And yes, he included Vladimir Lenin and John D Rockefeller, as well as the other details from the original mural. It’s clear that Diego Rivera and the Rockefeller family had very different visions for a “new and better future.” Rivera believed in a socialist future where workers would be united, and they would have a say in their own lives. The ,Rockefellers on the other hand, believed in a capitalist future where individuals would pursue their own economic interests without a focus on the wellbeing of workers. 

After these events, the Rockefeller family received much criticism for many, many years [00:09:00] because they had destroyed such an important work of art by a great artist. 

Artists, intellectuals, and political activists across the spectrum denounced the Rockefellers’ decision. Protests erupted outside Rockefeller Center with artists picketing and chanting that art should not be censored. In fact, the destruction of the mural resulted in a bigger debate about censorship, freedom of expression, and the role of art in society. 

Some saw the murals destruction as a blatant act of censorship, silencing a critical voice and reflecting the power of wealthy people to suppress other points of view. Others defended the Rockefeller’s right to control their own property, and they argued that artists shouldn’t be surprised by the consequences of expressing controversial views. [00:10:00] The mural showed the tension between capitalism and communism, and this added to the political disagreements during the great depression. For many people, it became a symbol of the battle between regular workers and rich people, with Rivera on one side and the Rockefellers on the other. 

The destruction of Man at the Crossroads was a defining moment in American art history. Resulting in conversations about the power of art to challenge social and political norms. While the original mural from Rockefeller center is lost forever, the version in Mexico city is a testament to Rivera’s original vision, and it is a reminder of the ongoing struggle for the freedom of expression. 

Thank you for listening. If you understood most of what I said during this episode, that’s great. Don’t forget to review the transcript. [00:11:00] If you want to check your understanding. Of any of the content. I recommend listening again with the transcript to help with anything that wasn’t clear. 

Again, I’m Christopher, and I want to invite you to join me in future episodes of English, please to hear about many different topics, all focused on helping you with your English. Subscribe now, wherever you listen to podcasts and let’s embark on an adventure together and clear, understandable English. I also encourage you to visit comullen.com/pod for more information. That’s C-O-M-U-L-L-E-N dot com slash P-O-D. 

Thanks for listening.

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