Elias Rivera, Matachine Dancers, n.d., oil on linen, 12 x 9.5 in.

American figural painter Elias Rivera (1937 – 2019) was best known for his striking body of canvases acclaimed for their visual eloquence in distilling the daily life of Indigenous communities in New Mexico, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. These works are regarded for their intimacy, purity of vision, and ability to impart a majestic sense of intrinsic nobility and dignity of their human subjects.