Frida Kahlo
Born – Mexico City, Mexico 1907
Died – Mexico City, Mexico 1954
Frida Kahlo’s life was transformed at the age of fifteen when a trolley car plunged into the bus in which she was a passenger. She suffered terrible injuries that served to shape her painting for the rest of her life. On small canvases and rendered with miniaturist detail, her autobiographical paintings make literal and symbolic reference to the emotional and physical pain she had to endure. Kahlo married Mexican muralist Diego Rivera in 1929. Their stormy and tempestuous relationship led to a divorce in 1939 and reunion later in life. Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair was painted in response to one of Rivera’s many infidelities. Kahlo represents herself in an angry and defiant mood. Dressed in a baggy man’s suit she is surrounded by strands of her hair, that wriggle like snakes. The writing across the top of the painting mocks the lyrics of a popular song which declared that love was dependant upon their lover’s beautiful hair. Fiercely proud, sensual and magnetic – these are all qualities associated with the legendary Frida Kahlo. Above all, however, her self-portraits provide an extraordinary insight into an intense and complex imagination.
Masterpieces:
- Self-Portrait with Monkey
- A Few Small Nips
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About frida kahlo
The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait
Carlos Fuentes
Buy on Amazon
Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo
Hayden Herrera
Buy on Amazon
Frida Kahlo 1907-1954: Pain and Passion
Andrea Kettenmann
Buy on Amazon