Avila Morning [The Ambles Valley]

Diego Rivera was born in the city of Guanajuato on the 8th of December, 1886. Some years later, his family moved to México City, where Diego enrolled in painting classes at the National Fine Arts School. In 1907, he was awarded a scholarship by the State of Veracruz so that he could continue his studies in the workshop of the Spanish artist, Eduardo Chicharro (1873-1949). In Spain, he took an enthusiastic interest in the work of Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923) and Ignacio Zuloaga (1870- 1945). In search of new subjects, Rivera and Chicharro set out on a journey around Spain, visiting various regions of the said country. There are six works by Rivera - Saint Vincent's Gate in Ávila, Nocturne, The Virgin of the Head, and the two we are concerned with here, Ávila Morning, (The Amblés Valley), Street in Ávila, (The Quiet Hour and Avila Landscape). The broad view of the Amblés valley, very near the city of Avila, clearly reflects the innovatory techniques learned by Rivera on his travels around Spain. In the background are the Ávila, mountains, which blend in with a masterfully executed sky. At the foot of the mountains, the rolling plains are superimposed on each other in the manner of José María Velasco, Rivera’s teacher at the National Fine Arts School. The River Adaja flows diagonally across the scene, dividing the painting into two sections. On the right, typical of this hybrid region, we see a high tree with sparse foliage. The vaporous surface, which the artist achieves by means of gentle variations in tone, invites the viewer to enter the composition, while at the same time giving an effect of desolation. In Street in Ávila also painted in 1908, the author depicts a cozy corner of the city of Ávila. The main focal point of this work is the steep street, which draws the viewer's eye towards the large houses, in the typical local style, that stand in the background. This paintings entered the MUNAL, as part of the latter’s founding endowment, in 1982.