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Image of The Hands of Dr. Moore

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Bookmark: https://collection.sdmart.org/objects-1/info/2343

The Hands of Dr. Moore

Diego Rivera (AKA JosĂ© Diego Marìa Rivera), Mexican, (December 13, 1886–November 24, 1957)

Creation date: 1940
Creation place: Mexico

Other Information

Type: Oil Painting
Medium and Support: Oil on canvas
Credit Line: Bequest of Mrs. E. Clarence Moore
Accession Number: 1970.20
Dimensions: 18 in. x 22 in. (45.72 cm x 55.88 cm)
Currently on view

Provenance

Mrs. E. Clarence Moore, Coronado, California ( - 1970)

Diego Rivera, Mexico (1940 - 1940)

E. Clarence Moore, Coronado, California (1940 - )

San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California (1970 - )

Label Copy

The Still-Life in the Twentieth Century
AP 2011
In this non-traditional subject, midway between a portrait and a still-life, Diego Rivera chose to focus on the sitter’s hands instead of painting a more conventional likness. The inscription reads, “These are the hands of Dr. Clarence Moore of Los Angeles, California. They trim the tree of life so that it is renewed and does not die. Diego Rivera painted them in 1940.” With its reference to roots, female anatomy, and blood, and through the use of a ribbon-like banner that includes an inscription, the painting recalls the work of Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist whom Rivera twice married. The anthropomorphic tree that is transformed from a symbol of the natural world to the female figure reflects the status of the tree as an iconic symbol in Mexican art history from pre-Columbian to contemporary times.

October 18, 2914
Anita Feldman, Deputy Director of Collections and Exhibitons
Diego Rivera
Mexican • 1886–1957
The Hands of Dr. Moore
Oil on canvas • 1940
In this portrait, Diego Rivera chose to focus on the doctor’s hands. The inscription reads, “These are the hands of Dr. Clarence Moore of Los Angeles, California. They trim the tree of life so that it is renewed and does not die. Diego Rivera painted them in 1940.” With its reference to roots, female anatomy, and blood, and through the use of a ribbon-like banner that includes an inscription, the painting recalls the work of Frida Kahlo, whom Rivera married twice. The tree that is transformed from a symbol of the natural world to the female figure reflects the status of the tree as an iconic symbol in Mexican art history from pre-Columbian to contemporary times. Rivera made several trips to the United States during the 1930s and 1940s, inspiring Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s WPA program with his murals.
Bequest of Mrs. E. Clarence Moore
1970.20
Last Updated: 6/20/2016

Exhibition

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

Diego Rivera , 9/13/1983 - 12/8/1983

Diego Rivera: A Retrospective The Detroit Institute of Arts , 2/10/1986 - 9/15/1987

Latin American Still Life: Reflections of Time and Place The Katonah Museum of Art , 10/17/1999 - 1/2/2000

Frida Kahlo y sus mundos/Frida Kahlo and Her Worlds Museo de Arte de Ponce , 11/19/2005 - 3/26/2006

The Mirror and the Mask: Portraiture in the Age of Picasso , 2/6/2007 - 9/16/2007

Alex Arrechea: Scalpel and Cotton San Diego Museum of Art , 6/30/2007 - 10/14/2007

Modern Art: Selected Highlights San Diego Museum of Art , 10/20/2012 - 6/30/2013

Selections of Modern Art The San Diego Museum of Art , 7/23/2013 - 11/3/2013

American: Art of the 20th Century San Diego Museum of Art , 1/18/2014 - 8/26/2014

American Visions: Place and Identity The San Diego Museum of Art , 10/18/2014 - 3/17/2015

Art of the 20th Century , 3/28/2015 - 8/16/2015

Art of the 20th Century San Diego Museum of Art , 7/23/2016 - 00/00/00

Art Alive Premiere Dinner San Diego Museum of Art , 4/27/2017 - 4/30/2017

Art of the Americas The San Diego Museum of Art , 9/7/2021 - 4/3/2023

Art of the Americas (new) Rachel Jans , 4/6/2024 - 00/00/00

Bibliography

This object has the following bibliographic references:

Ms. Mary Stofflet. San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Art. San Diego, California, 1993
Page Number: 179, 192, 193, Figure Number: 193

Dawn Ades. Diego Rivera: Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. Mexico, D.F., 1999
Page Number: 318-319

Laura Cortés Guitiérrez, ed. Diego Rivera: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes. Mexico, D.F., 1989
Page Number: 200, Figure Number: 1531

Gina Alexander and Alicia Azuela. Diego Rivera: W.W. Norton & Co. Ltd.. London, England, 1986
Page Number: 344

Laurance P. Hurlburt and Alicia Azuela. Diego Rivera: W.W. Norton & Co. Ltd.. London, England, 1986
Page Number: 100, Figure Number: 216

Andrea Kettenmann. Diego Rivera, 1886–1957: Benedikt Taschen Verlag GmbH. Cologne, Germany, 1997
Page Number: 69-70, 71, Figure Number: 71

Edward J. Sullivan. Latin American Still Life: Katonah Museum of Art. Katonah, New York, 1999
Page Number: 11-12

Rosalie Dolmatch, ed. Latin American Still Life: Katonah Museum of Art. Katonah, New York, 1999
Page Number: 23, Figure Number: 23

Ms. Claudia Leos. San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Art. San Diego, California, 2003
Page Number: 209, Figure Number: 209

Mr. AugustĂ­n Arteaga. Frida Kahlo y sus mundos/Frida Kahlo and Her Worlds Museo de Arte de Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico, 2005
Page Number: 19

Frida Kahlo y sus mundos/Frida Kahlo and Her Worlds Museo de Arte de Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico, 2005
Page Number: 114, Figure Number: 81

Frida Kahlo y sus mundos/Frida Kahlo and Her Worlds Museo de Arte de Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico, 2005
Page Number: 152 no. 81

Alexandre Arrecchea: Magnan Projects. New York, New York, 2007
Page Number: 16

Prof. Luis-MartĂ­n Lozano and Mr. Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera. Diego Rivera: Taschen America. Los Angeles, California, 2008
Page Number: 565, 616, Figure Number: 616

Stephanie Lane and Dr. Guy Maddern. The Fine Art of Surgery: A collectionof paintings, drawings and murals. Royal Society of Medicine Press Ltd.. London, UK, 2012
Page Number: 92-95, Figure Number: 49

Marks

Signature, Lower right:

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