| In 1933, the famous New York Rockefeller
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| | confronted by a symbolic junction of
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| family commissioned Diego Rivera to paint
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| | industry, capitalism, socialism and
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| a mural on the wall of the new RCA
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| | science. The newest of the Diego Rivera
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| centre. The theme for the wall was to be
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| | murals was provisionally called "Man at
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| "new frontiers", and it was Nelson A.
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| | the Crossroads Looking with Hope and High
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| Rockefeller himself who wanted the
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| | Vision to the Choosing of a New and
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| painting to force people to stop and
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| | Better Future." The mural was spectacular
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| think about its message. The finished
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| | and achieved Nelson Rockefeller's goal of
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| product depicted a number of scenes that
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| | creating a work that was arresting and
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| referred to socially relevant events of
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| | inspiring. Among some of the influential
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| the time. However, there was one element
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| | personalities portrayed on the canvas
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| of the mural that the Rockefellers deemed
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| | were Jean Harlow, Charlie Chaplin, Edsel
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| too controversial and Rivera was asked to
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| | Ford and the famous Russian communist
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| change the prominent face of a well-known
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| | leader Vladimir Lenin.
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| political figure. What began as an effort
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| | Upon completion of the mural, Rivera
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| to bring an eye-catching and thought
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| | revealed his work to the Rockefellers,
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| provoking work of art to the Rockefeller
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| | but their response was not what he had
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| Centre soon turned into a major conflict
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| | expected. When Nelson Rockefeller
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| that would involve America's richest
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| | adamantly demanded that Rivera remove the
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| family, Mexico's most famous artist, and
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| | image of Lenin and replace it with the
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| the entire American public.
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| | face of another historically influential
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| Diego Rivera murals had gained huge
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| | leader, Rivera refused and the mural was
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| attention in the artist's home country of
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| | subsequently covered for an entire year.
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| Mexico. The task of creating a painting
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| | Although many American citizens protested
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| on one of America's most famous
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| | to what they perceived to be artistic
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| landmarks, however, promised to be the
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| | censorship, the painting would never see
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| job that would bring Rivera international
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| | the light of day in the States and it was
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| fame. It is said that, initially, the
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| | eventually chiseled off the wall at
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| Rockefeller family, who favoured a more
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| | Rockefeller's request.
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| modern style of art, wanted Henri Matisse
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| | Objecting to having his work censored,
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| or Pablo Picasso to handle the enormous
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| | Diego Rivera later reproduced the mural
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| task, but because the two artists were
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| | in its original form on the interior wall
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| unavailable for hire, Diego Rivera was
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| | of the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico
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| approached. Seizing the great
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| | City. His new painting was as grand and
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| opportunity, Rivera accepted the
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| | thought provoking as the original, but
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| commission and immediately began work on
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| | Rivera chose to call this new version,
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| the large mural.
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| | "Man Controller of the Universe." Today,
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| Although the Rockefeller family had put
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| | this most controversial of the Diego
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| forward the idea for the theme "new
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| | Rivera murals is still displayed in
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| frontiers", Rivera disapproved with the
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| | Mexico City and many a fan of Rivera
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| Western world's embrace of free
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| | still dispute the Rockefeller family's
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| enterprise. Choosing instead to follow
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| | decision to prevent the work from being
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| his own political beliefs, Rivera painted
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| | viewed.
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| scenes that depicted the modern worker
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