FRIDA KAHLO
Painter
of the
selfportrait
Frida Kahlo was
born in Mexico
on July 6, 1907.
Many tragedies
occurred in
Frida’s life,
which in turn led
her to become a
strong and
independent
artist.
In 1929 Frida married a highly esteemed
muralist also from Mexico named Diego Rivera.
Her marriage was full of infidelity and unhappiness.
Diego
1937
• Frida y Diego 1930
"Frida and
Diego Rivera
The Wedding
Portrait 1931
• Painted after
two years of
marriage to
Rivera
Frida
&
Diego
1940
"I paint self portraits
because I am so often
alone.
Because I am the
subject
I know best."
Frida Kahlo may have felt alone, but
through her paintings, she has connected
with many others. In painting the subject she
knows best, she depicts her own personal
pain, fear, anguish, loss - and even joy.
The world marvels at how she can depict
heartbreak, sadness, & loneliness. It's as if
the physical pain that Frida was forced to
endure gave her the means to depict her
feelings so honestly on canvas.
Many of Frida’s paintings represent
the pain and suffering afflicted by
tragedies that occurred in her life,
including her unhappy marriage with
Diego. Frida’s eccentric art is
recognized throughout the world. She
is well known for expressing her
feelings on canvas.
Little Deer- 1946
oil on canvas, surrealisms
“My Dress Hangs Here” oil on canvas, 1933
surrealism
In this self
portrait she
paints her
memories of her
homeland
(Mexico). The
self-portrait was
painted while
Kahlo and
Rivera were in
the United
States.
"Self-Portrait on the Borderline Between
Mexico and the United States,"
Oil on canvas, Surrealism 1932
The marriage of Diego Rivera
and Frida Kahlo is one of the
most famous alliances between
artists. It is a well-known fact that
they had a passionate and stormy
relationship, filled with great love
and also betrayals.
They both had incredible talents and vision,
but Diego's work would be more public and
monumental, whereas Frida's was more
personal and intimate in scale.
Frida Kahlo: Self Portrait as a Tehuana
(Diego on My Mind) , oil on canvas, Surrealism 1943
Here Frida is dressed as a
traditional Mexican bride with
intricate lace and flowers on
her crown. The painting is
another testimony of her love
for Diego. She wrote into her
diary about this time;
‘ Why do I call him my
Diego? He never was and he
never will be mine. He
belongs to himself.'
Self-Portait 1
Oil on canvas
1926
The Two Fridas , oil on canvas,
Surrealism 1939
Frida kahlo in her studio painting “The Two Fridas”
Self Portrait with curly hair,
Oil on tin
1935
Self Portrait with Monkey,
Oil on canvas
1943
Self Portrait - 1940
Self Portrait- 1940
Both are oil on canvas
ROOTS- oil on canvas, surrealism, 1943
Tree of Hope
oil on canvas,
surrealism
1946
Self-Portrait with the Portrait of Doctor Farill,
oil on canvas, surrealism - 1951
Her health issues became nearly allconsuming in 1950. After being diagnosed
with gangrene in her right foot, Kahlo spent
nine months in the hospital and had several
operations during this time. She continued
to paint and support political causes despite
having limited mobility. Kahlo’s right leg
was amputated to stop the spread of
gangrene.
Deeply depressed, Kahlo was hospitalized
again in April 1954 because of poor health, or,
as some reports indicated, a suicide attempt.
She returned to the hospital two months later
with bronchial pneumonia. About a week after
her forty-seventh birthday, Kahlo died on July
13 at her beloved Blue House. There has been
some speculation regarding the nature of her
death. It was reported to be caused by a
pulmonary embolism, but there have also been
stories about a possible suicide.
La Casa Azul was the place where Frida Kahlo came into this
world, lived, and took her last breath. The building, dates to 1904.
Following Diego’s
wishes, the Casa Azul
was turned into a
museum in 1958, four
years after Frida Kahlo
died. Currently it is
among the most well
attended museums in
the country; every
month it receives about
23,000 visitors.
•
http://www.biography.com/people/frida-kahlo-9359496