a , ▁later ▁served ▁him ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ). ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Rod ol fo ▁N iet o ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁home ▁in ▁O ax aca ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 3 6 . ▁His ▁father ▁Rod ol fo ▁N iet o ▁Gr is , ▁a ▁medical ▁ep ide mi ologist , ▁left ▁the ▁home ▁myster iously ▁around ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁After ▁his ▁disapp earance , ▁the ▁family ▁became ▁dest itute ; ▁his ▁mother , ▁Josef ina ▁Lab ast ida ▁de ▁N iet o , ▁a ▁hom em aker ▁and ▁se am str ess , ▁moved ▁to ▁Mexico ▁City ▁with ▁Rod ol fo , ▁his ▁younger ▁brother ▁Carlos ▁N iet o , ▁a ▁poet — who ▁was ▁later ▁murder ed ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁political ▁associations — after ▁Rod ol fo ▁died , ▁formed ▁a ▁new ▁family ▁with ▁half ▁brother ▁Ig na cio ▁Sau ced o . ▁While ▁Rod ol fo ▁attended ▁public ▁school , ▁the ▁art ▁professor ▁and ▁dan cer ▁Santos ▁Bal m ori ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Government , ▁interview ed ▁students ▁for ▁the ▁Mexican ▁folk lor ico . ▁After ▁Rod ol fo ▁aud ition ed , ▁Bal m ori ▁asked ▁the ▁te en ager ▁if ▁he ▁could ▁do ▁anything ▁else . ▁Rod ol fo ▁sketch ed ▁a ▁cat . ▁The ▁professor ▁was ▁im pressed ▁and ▁asked ▁him ▁if ▁he ▁would ▁like ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁painting ▁the ▁scen ery ▁for ▁the ▁folk lor ico . ▁It ▁was ▁Bal m ori ▁who ▁encourag