California School of Fine Arts
Art school on Russian Hill in San Francisco, later the San Francisco Art Institute. In Hayden Herrera’s Frida Diego Rivera paints his trompe l’oeil fresco here in 1931 while Frida paints their wedding portrait.
At a glance
| Source | Author | Role | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frida | Hayden Herrera | backdrop | Rivera paints himself from behind on a painted scaffold, while Frida paints him facing forward in their wedding portrait. |
Frida — Hayden Herrera (1983)
Source: Frida - A Biography of Frida Kahlo · Original · Readwise highlight
His mural is a monumental trompe l’oeil joke: Diego and his assistants appear on an illusionistically depicted scaffold, engaged in painting a fresco of a worker on what appears to be the actual wall of the room.
- Role: backdrop
- In the book: The commission, arranged through Ralph Stackpole and William Gerstle, is one of the two that bring the couple to San Francisco. Returning on April 23, 1931, Rivera finally paints the fresco, showing himself seated with his back to the viewer. At the same time Frida paints Frida and Diego Rivera, presenting him as a standing figure facing politely forward.
- Why it matters: Herrera sets the two works side by side to contrast how each artist shows Rivera. The mural’s completion also ends the San Francisco stay.