Allegory of California (1931)

In the 1930s, Diego Rivera was notorious not just for his artistic prowess but for his Communist-leaning political views.

Suffice it to say, he was a persona non grata as far as the U.S. government was concerned.

So when the San Francisco Pacific Stock Exchange, a bastion of capitalism, invited Rivera to paint a fresco in the grand stairway of their Art Moderne-style Lunch Club, it was a bold and surprising move on their part, indeed.

Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo, arrived in the City by the Bay in September 1930 and he set about painting his first fresco on U.S. soil.

Christened Allegory of California, the fresco is subdued ideology-wise, celebrating instead the bounty and industrial ingenuity of California and its people.

You can visit it during a guided tour, which is held twice monthly.

Guided Tour: Free!

First and third Mondays of the month at 3pm, generally. Must be reserved in advance online, starting 10 days before the scheduled tour date.