The History of the Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo in 10 Paintings
the mexican artist Frida Kahlo marked history due to his magnificent self-portraits with a strong dimension that influenced the vision of thefeminism, homosexuality and Mexican culture around the world. With vibrant colors involved in Latin cultural traits, the painter portrayed the events of her life, her relationships, suffering, intimate female issues such as abortion, in addition to her political and cultural convictions. This article explores the intense life of one of the most important Mexican painters of the 20th century,from ten paintings.
1. My Grandparents, My Parents, and I (Family Tree) in Frida Kahlo, 1936
We started this tour around the world ofFrida Kahlo, through painting My Grandparents, My Parents, and I (Family Tree). Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderón was born on July 6, 1907 in Mexico City, in the house known today as La Casa Azul. In a characteristic way, the artist represented her origins, by portraying herself at the bottom, as a naked child with her feet inside the house where she lived most of her life. This figure holds a ribbon that tells the genealogical story ofFrida Kahlo, with representations of parents and grandparents, in the upper part of the painting.
2. The bus in Frida Kahlo, 1929
In The bus, the painter represented one of the key moments of her life, the bus accident on 17 September 1925. This completely transformed her way of life, as she suffered spinal injuries, among other problems such as greatly reduced mobility. In the painting, the moment before the accident is represented, with the passengers calmly seated.Frida Kahlo he never portrayed the event directly, but represented the consequences it had on his body and his way of life.
3. The broken column in Frida Kahlo, 1944
The broken column is one of the paintings that tells of the pain and suffering felt by the artist, due to the injuries that the bus accident caused to her body. This work was painted whenFrida Kahlo she was bedridden and attached to a metallic corset, after one of the surgeries on her spine. The Mexican painter represented herself standing in the middle of a fragmented landscape, with her torso surrounded by metal bands covered in cloth, which provide pressure and support to her back, thus preventing her body from breaking. Its spine is replaced by an Ionic column, with its head resting on a capital. Although her body is surrounded by signs of pain, such as nails and tears, the painter's face remains serious and without signs of suffering, thus demonstrating her strong and defiant attitude towards life itself.
4. Frieda and Diego Rivera in Frida Kahlo, 1931
"There have been two great accidents in my life," he once wrote. Frida Kahlo in her diary: the terrible accident that left her "broke" and the time she met Diego Rivera, who literally became the love of her life.»
The painting "Frieda and Diego Rivera” represents the matrimonial union of the two, which took place in 1929. At the time of the creation of this work,Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived in the United States of America, as the Mexican artist was painting the murals at the San Francisco Stock Exchange and at the San Francisco School of Fine Arts.In the painting, Diego Rivera holds a palette and four brushes in his right hand, whileFrida Kahlo she holds her red shawl in her left hand, inclining her head towards her husband. The two are standing still holding hands, looking frontally at the viewer. At the top, there is a pigeon holding a banner that reads: “Here you see us, me Frieda Kahlo, with my dearest husband Diego Rivera. I painted these pictures in the delightful city of San Francisco California for our companion Mr. Albert Bender, and it was in the month of April of the year 1931.”
5. Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbirdin Frida Kahlo, 1940
Frida Kahlo produced several portraits accompanied by her favorite animals, parrots, dogs, among others, which replaced the presence of the children that the artist could not have. in this painting Frida Kahlo she presents herself with a serious and firm look, while she is surrounded by vegetation and various animals: a cat, a monkey and several butterflies in her hair.
6. Henry Ford Hospital in Frida Kahlo, 1932
At six years old,Frida Kahlo she had polio, a disease that damaged her uterus and made her unable to have children. On July 4, 1932, the Mexican artist suffered a miscarriage in Detroit at her home. As her body did not resist, she ended up being taken to the Henry Ford Hospital.In this painting,Frida Kahlo portrayed the intimate moment of suffering, by demonstrating the feeling of helplessness, from his naked body, twisted and full of blood. The bed tilted upwards, in a deserted landscape, increases and shows the feeling of discomfort and loneliness. The stomach holds several red threads, similar to umbilical cords, which demonstrate its reproductive problems - uterus, flower and baby - and how long this operation took, through the snail. Henry Ford Hospital it was the first painting in which Frida used a metal plate as a support, as in Mexican altarpieces.
7. Self-portrait dedicated to Leon Trotsky, 1937
the mexican painter is known for her self-portraits that told the story of her life, as well as her reflections on politics and cultural identity. in this portraitFrida Kahlo She represented herself elegantly in a long embroidered skirt, with a fringed shawl and flowers in her hair. In her hands she holds a bunch of flowers and a letter written to Trotsky which states: “To Leon Trotsky, with all my affection, I dedicate this painting, on November 7, 1937. Frida Kahlo. In San Angel, Mexico". This self-portrait dedicated to Leon Trotsky celebrates the brief romance between the two. Russian revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky went to Mexico in 1937, where he remained in exile until he was assassinated in 1940. Although the painting reveals an international political theme, the elements presented are from Mexican culture, in a self-staged scenario in which Frida Kahlo is the protagonist.
8. The Two Fridasin Frida Kahlo, 1939
The painting The Two Fridas expresses the painter's feelings of sadness and loneliness after her separation from Diego Rivera. Amidst the agitated and turbulent sky, two personalities of Frida Kahlo giving the hands. One is the traditionalFrida Kahlo in Tehuana garb, heartbroken, sitting next to a more independent, modernly dressed Frida. Both have visible hearts, however the “traditional Frida” is found bloodied with her heart cut open, demonstrating her vulnerability and despair. The couple eventually got married and stayed together untilFrida Kahlo die.
9. Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair in Frida Kahlo, 1940
In this self-portrait,Frida Kahlo abandoned feminine attributes, replacing the traditional Tehuana embroidered dresses and flowers in her hair, with a loose masculine suit and a short haircut. The direct look that confronts the viewer remains, in addition to the high-heeled shoes and the gold earrings. Around her, there are strands of hair that the artist herself cut, in order to symbolize her androgynousness but also her separation from Diego Rivera. At the top, the artist wrote “Look that if you want, it was for the hair, Now that you're naked, I don't want you anymore.” (Look, if I loved you, it was because of your hair. Now that you're bald, I don't love you.)
10. Vida la Viva in Frida Kahlo, 1954
The last painting produced byFrida Kahlo he was Viva la Vida,Watermelon, a still life that expresses the ephemerality of life. With rich contrasts of colors, curves and angles, this painting exposes an intense message in an almost ironic way: "Live a long life".This hard-shelled fruit with a soft interior is compared to the artist herself, who had to develop a strong skin to withstand the pains of life, but her interior remained with a great creative side, full of vibrant colors. In mythology, watermelon seeds symbolize both fertility and immortality, as they carry the promise of a new life for eternity. Despite the life ofFrida Kahlo short, its seeds continue to fertilize the field of art.