“May Day Procession in Moscow” is an oil on canvas painting created by artist Diego Rivera in 1956. With dimensions of 135.2 x 108.3 cm, this artwork is a representation of the Social Realism art movement and falls under the genre painting category. The painting currently resides in a private collection.
The artwork depicts a large, colorful procession marching through what appears to be Red Square in Moscow. The foreground is dominated by a large globe with Cyrillic text on it, possibly representing solidarity with workers around the world, given the May Day context, which is known as International Workers’ Day. A sea of figures carrying flags creates a tapestry of reds, yellows, blues, and other colors, moving en masse through a grand space flanked by iconic Russian architecture. The State Historical Museum’s elaborate facade is noticeable on the left side of the painting, hinting at the location’s historical and political significance. In the distance, amidst a hazy sky suggestive of either the early morning or the late afternoon, the towers of the Kremlin are visible, evoking the power and presence of the Soviet government at the time. Rivera’s work often communicated themes of the working class and societal struggles, and in this painting, he captures the scale and collective spirit of the May Day celebration, a workers’ holiday celebrated in many parts of the world.
