The Hands of Dr. Moore depict two hands in the process of surgery, cutting into a tree-like structure on a table. The majority of the painting are elements that are mostly found in his wife, Frida Kahlo’s work, including the presence of the female body, blood, and a banner at the bottom of the painting. After his wife’s death, Rivera was inspired by surrealism and incorporated trees or roots into his paintings. The painting was a portrait of a man, but instead of depicting his face, he depicted the doctor’s hand instead to show the profession of a doctor and the close relation it has to life, which he represented through a tree.

SKU: 64987
Creator: Diego Rivera
Date: 1940
Original Medium: Oil on canvas
Original Size: 18 in. x 22 in.
Location: San Diego Museum of Art
© 2017 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York