View of Toledo, 1912 by Diego Rivera

A stunning tribute to three of Rivera's favorite masters - El Greco, Francisco Goya, and Paul Cézanne - View of Toledo exemplifies Rivera's tendency to unite traditional and more modern approaches in his work. The landscape is a reworking of the famous 1597 landscape painting by El Greco, whose work Rivera studied during his time in Spain; Rivera's version even deploys the same viewpoint as the Spanish Old Master. At the same time, the subdued palette, flattened forms, and unconventional use of perspective suggest the artist's reverence for Cézanne, his L'Estaque Landscapes. This artwork also documents the beginning of Rivera's Cubist phase.