Essay \"Frida Kahlo\" - Grade A PDF

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Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo was one of the most influential Mexican artists of the 20th century; her artwork has been revolutionary to modern art. Significant biographical and historical incidents influenced the artwork of Frida Kahlo throughout her artistic career. Kahlo’s life was reflected through her artwork; her body of work was the novel of her life. The artist’s work was greatly influenced by her bus accident which handicapped her for life. Kahlo had strong ties to her Mexican heritage; the Mexican Revolution influenced many of her self-portraits. She was influenced by the indigenous cultures of Mexico and Europe. The artist incorporated realism, symbolism, and surrealism into her artwork. Frida’s politics were a major influence on her work. At times she was a socialist, a communist, and a revolutionary. Lastly, the marriage to her husband, Diego Rivera, also affected her artwork. Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was born on July 6, 1907 in the house of her parents, La Casa Azul, in Coyoacán, Mexico. Frida stated that she was born in 1910; she sought after to a connection to the Mexican Revolution, expressing her political stronghold. Her father was Guillermo Kahlo and mother Matilde Calderon y Gonzalez. Frida had four sisters, also two older half sisters from her father’s previous marriage. At the age of six, Frida was diagnosed with polio which left her right leg thinner than her left. She attended Prepatoria of Mexico, one of the best schools in Mexico. Frida received basic artistic training studying her father's photography studio, but mostly she was a self-taught artist. On September 17, 1925, she was involved in a trolley accident that injured her so severely that she required three dozen operations. This accident would forever impact her life and art (artchive.com). While in physical therapy from the trauma, Frida began to paint. Her dream of being a doctor faded away, as she turned to art. Due to her ongoing medical problems, her self-portraits commonly portrayed Frida in physical agony.

Frida married Diego Rivera, a famous muralist, in 1929. Frida and Diego’s relationship was strained by both of their infidelities. The couple separated in 1939 but remarried in 1940. Frida started to sell her paintings and become a newly renowned artist in Mexico. She held art exhibitions in Europe and throughout the U.S. (pbs.org). Her works sent made strong political statements, as which made them highly visible. After suffering from poor health for years as of her accident, Frida Kahlo died on July 13, 1954,at the age of 47, in Coyoacán, Mexico. Frida always expressed in her diary the love she had for her father. She wrote in her diary that her mother was kind and intelligent but also cruel at the same time (Kettenmann 9). In My Nurse and I, Frida illustrated as a baby, had to be breast fed by a nurse and not by her mother. This is a significant event since it prevented Frida and her mother from forming a mother/daughter bond, a broken bond that lasted a lifetime. Frida used symbolism in My Nurse and I, she represented her nurse as the mother she never had. She never felt her mother was supportive of her. When Frida contrapted polio her father took care of her during a month of frail state (fridakahlofans.com).When Frida married Diego her mother was against it while her father supported her and knew Diego could provide for his daughter. Kahlo’s relationship with her parents also affected her art. Frida’s art was heavily impacted by the trolley accident on September 17, 1925 when she was eighteen. This accident provided Frida’s inspiration for painting. Frida painted SelfPortrait in a Velvet Dress, Fig 1, her first serious work and the first of many self-portraits to come. She painted it for her boyfriend, Alejandro Gómez Arias, as a gift. The aristocratic pretense echoes Frida's interest in the paintings of the Italian Fig. 1

Renaissance period. Frida appears to be a melancholy aristocrat in the setting of waves in dark flat colors. This self-portrait is Frida's interpretation of Botticelli's Venus (Drucker 23). Frida portrays herself in the times of the Italian Renaissance, as a classy elegant woman. Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress, Fig.1, painted in 1926, illustrates Frida flaunting a velvet dress in front of black waves. The slender figure and the overlong neck distinguish the style of Modigliani according to the authors Williams and Kettenmann. Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress was painted as a gift for her boyfriend, Alejandro Gomez Arias. It was given as a token of her love to restore his affection. Her plea for his love worked; as soon as he received the painting they were rejoined. Kahlo’s paintings reflect her experiences such as her trolley accident, her marriage, her political views, her miscarriages, and her emotions throughout events during her life. Frida had strong political ties, as well as advocating her political ideas. Numerous of her paintings featured her political outlook. In 1928 Frida is introduced to a group of young people who supported the Cuban Communist Julio Antonio Mella. Modotti, Frida’s friend and also a member of the group introduces Frida to Diego Rivera. Frida shows Diego a selection her works, she asked him what he thought of her art and if he thought she was talented. Diego told her “you have talent,” these words inspire her to pursue art as a career (Tuchman 13). Frida ends the relationship with Alejandro and immediately feels infatuated with Rivera. Diego incorporates a portrait of Frida into his exhibition, Frida Kahlo Distributes the Arms. Frida is rendered in a black skirt and red shirt, and wearing a red star on her breast. She is shown as a member of the Mexican Communist Party, which she joined in 1928. Frida was heavily influenced by Diego’s inspiration and her view on politics, both influenced her artwork throughout her life.

Frida Kahlo Distributes the Arms, Fig. 2, painted in 1928 by Diego Rivera is a mural panel. Diego illustrates Frida as a member of the Mexican Communist Party. Frida is rendered in a black skirt and red shirt, and wearing a red star on her breast. The artwork depicts a group of workers who have decided to fight in the revolution. One of the flags show, “Tierra, Libertad,” expressing freedom Fig. 2

and land. The flags are the communist flags, the hammer and the sickle. The work depicts revolution and the common man wanting to fight for freedom. Frida stood for revolution, freedom, and equality of all. Frida as well as Diego illustrated many pieces of art having relevance to her political beliefs. Most of Frida’s works depict her agony and suffering due to her high maintenance life. On August 21, 1929 Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo married in a private ceremony in the town hall of Coyoacán (bigchalk.com). Soon after Frida endured numerous abortions and miscarriages which caused her much anguish. These personal tragedies impulsed Frida to paint about her miscarriages and her personal agony. Her miscarriages as well as her marriage to Diego also influenced her art. In the same year Frida and Diego married, Frida painted her second selfportrait, Time Flies. In this piece of art she embodies her new style of art, incorporating indigenous Mexican style, also known as her trademark style of painting. Time Flies, Fig. 3, was illustrated in 1939, this selfportrait was painted the year Frida and Diego were married. It portrays Frida in a lighter tone rather than her first portrait,

her style of painting has evolved into a more colorful and vibrant mode. Here she has replaced the Renaissance style of her previous paintings with the more traditional Mexican folk style of painting that was being used by Diego in his murals. Not only did her marriage with Diego influence her art, but also Diego as a mentor and as a fellow artist also influenced her artistic career. This painting is in sharp contrast to her first self-portrait in which she appears as the melancholy aristocrat in dark flat colors. Simple cotton peasant clothes replace the sophisticated Renaissance velvet dresses that adorned the subjects of her previous paintings. The jewelry she is wearing is tribute of pre-Columbian and colonial cultural influences. Red, white, and green were used to represent the Mexican flag and her new “Mexicanism” style. Frida used bright vibrant colors of the Mexican culture; her Mexican heritage influenced her artwork. This trend continued throughout the rest of her painting career. Frida was influenced by the Mexican culture; she utilized bright colors and symbolism. She often showed Christian and Jewish themes through her artwork, especially the symbolic monkey (jewishmuseum.com/Britannica).

A year after being married the newlyweds left for the U.S.; there they traveled to San Francisco, New York, and Detroit. Frida was also influenced by her fellow artists including Adolfo Best Maugard, sculptor Ralph Stackpole, Fernando Fernandez, and painter Arnold Blanch (Mencimer 7). She met her fellow colleagues in parts of the U.S. From November 1930 to June 1931, they live in San Francisco, while there Frida has her first public showing of her work, Frida and Fig. 4

Diego Rivera, Fig. 4, at the "Sixth Annual Exhibition of the San Francisco Society of Women

Artists." The couple move around the U.S. for Rivera’s many different job opportunities in New York and also Philadelphia (pbs.org).

Frida's second pregnancy ends in miscarriage at Henry Ford Hospital. Not only had she just suffered her second miscarriage, she was also beginning to realize the inability to have children. Frida painted Henry Ford Hospital, argued as her most painful self portrait. The painting shows Frida in pain while having six umbilical cords connected to different symbols. "I paint self portraits because I am the person I know best,” stated by Frida Kahlo according to artchive.com. Throughout her years in the U.S. Frida acquires a stronger hold of her Mexican heritage and also a better learning of art from a variety of artists in the U.S. (Laidlaw 17). In 1934 Frida has her third abortion due to a complication in the womb. After the last abortion Frida and Diego had many marital problems, mostly infidelity. Frida moved out and traveled to New York to broaden her horizons. She returned by the end of the year and the couple reconciled but agreed to live separate independent lives. Frida starts having affairs with many artists as Diego has an affair with her sister, Cristina (Lozano 40)

The Spanish Civil War breaks out, both very politically motivated Frida and Diego work on behalf of the Spanish Republicans, raising money for Mexicans fighting against Franco's military forces (Drucker 31). Frida alongside Rivera were politically active as communists, nonetheless Frida at times was also a socialist. On January 9th, 1937 Leon Trotsky and his wife, arrive at the Casa Azul escaping Russia from Stalin’s exile. Diego and Frida persuaded

Fig. 5

the Mexican President to grant Trotsky asylum in Mexico. Frida and Trotsky engage in a secret affair. Frida paints Trotsky a self-portrait dedicated to him. Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky, Fig. 5, was painted in 1937 for Trotsky’s birthday. The portrait was painted with warm and soft colors. Frida looks beautiful, seductive, as well as self-confident. This painting is sometimes referred to as Between the Curtains.

A major milestone in Kahlo’s career starts with surrealist Andre Breton. The key to her success was Andre Breton who shot her career off. Kahlo had the talent and the unique art to express her idealistic style of art. Frida exhibited her works at many exhibits including “Contemporary Mexican Painting and Graphic Art" at the Palace of Fine Art in San Francisco's Golden Gate International Exhibition. He sees Kahlo’s, What the Water Gave Me, stating that Kahlo was a surrealist and offered to exhibit her works in Paris. “My painting carries with it the message of pain,” stated by Kahlo according to fridakahlo.com. Frida’s first important sale was to American actor Edward G. Robinson who purchased four of Frida's paintings for $200 each.

Kahlo was now at the top of her career, her suffering and life experiences had been brought to life by paper. People were mesmerized by her style of artistry, the mixture of

symbolism, her vibrant colors, the Mexican culture, and her life story portrayed into paintings. Frida traveled to New York for her first solo exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery (Tuchman 3). Twenty-five of her paintings are exhibited and half of them are sold. These are several of the pieces featured in the exhibition: Henry Ford Hospital, My Birth, My Nurse and I, Memory, The Fruits of the Earth, My Grandparents, My Parents and I, and more. In 1939 Frida travels to Paris for her exhibition “Mexique” in the Renou and Colle Gallery. One of the paintings shown was the self-portrait The Frame which was purchased by The Louvre. This painting became the first work by a 20th century Mexican artist to be purchased by the Louvre (Williams 63). On November 6th 1939, Frida and Rivera divorce. During this time period Frida is having many medical issues, which were all caused by the accident in 1925.

Frida’s other influential art include The Two Frida’s, Fig. 6, which were exhibited in the "International Surrealism Exhibition”. The Two Frida’s was painted in 1939. This self-portrait expresses two different personalities. On the right, the part which was loved by Diego, is the Mexican Frida in Tehuana costume. In her hand she holds an amulet bearing the Fig. 6

portrait of Diego as a child. On the left, a more rather European Frida in a lacy white Victorian wedding dress, the Frida that Diego abandoned. The hearts of the two women lie exposed, a device Frida often used to express her pain. The unloved Frida's heart is broken while the other Fig. 7

Frida's heart is whole. From the amulet that Frida is

holding springs a vein that travels through both women's hearts and is finally cut off by the surgical pincers held in the lap of the rejected Frida. In despair, Frida tries to stop the flow of

blood from Diego but it keeps dripping. The stormy sky filled with clouds conveys Frida's inner turmoil (pbs.org). Holding her own hand, she is her only companion. The key to her success was Andre Breton who shot her career off. Kahlo had the talent and the unique art to express her idealistic style of art. Frida exhibited her works at many exhibits including “Contemporary Mexican Painting and Graphic Art" at the Palace of Fine Art in San Francisco's Golden Gate International Exhibition. Also Frida's art is integrated in the exhibition "Modern Mexican Painters" at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in Boston. While her success is eminent her and Diego remarry, her father dies which causes Frida depression and more pain making her health worsen (Kettenmann 3). Frida was a Surrealist, representing meaningful art; turning inward to private realities based on memories and feelings. Frida’s paintings tell the story of her physical and emotional pain (Kettenmann 3).In 1943 Frida was appointed a professor of painting at La Esmeralda. In 1944 her painting States, Fig.7, which was painted in 1932 was critiqued for its political statement. States represents the borderline between Mexico and the U.S. In 1946 Kahlo receives a national prize from the Ministry of Public Education for her painting Moses. Frida was frail the last year of her life, her right leg was amputated due to gangrene. Frida had a life filled with physical and emotional pain, which made her and her artwork unique and worldwide renown. Frida Kahlo, an art icon died on July 13, 1954. Diego Rivera wrote that the day Frida died was the most tragic day of his life, he wrote that he had realized too late that the most wonderful part of his life had been his love for her. La Casa Azul has been a museum since Diego’s death, his last wish was to make a museum commemorating Frida (Lozano 20).

Frida’s art was even more appreciated after her death like many other artists. Her artwork had success after her death. Frida is one of the most important 20th century painters and one of the few Latin American artists to have achieved a global reputation (artchive.com). Many of Frida's paintings, especially the self-portraits, capture her own personal emotions and feelings about an event or crisis in her life. Including her physical condition, her inability to have children, her philosophy of nature, life, and politics, and most of all her chaotic relationship with Diego. The life events were tragic and unpleasant, nevertheless these events shaped Frida Kahlo’s art. As Frida developed her artistic skills, her paintings evolved into her own unique style, heavily influenced by other people, artists, cultures and life itself. She experimented with different styles and stunned the art world with her "surrealist and realist" style works. Historical events such as the Spanish Revolution, the Mexican Revolution, the Communist Movement, and others influenced Frida’s art, also Frida had a connection with these historical events.

Frida Kahlo was a revolutionary artist and heavily impacted the artistic world. Kahlo, along many other great artists drew her personal experiences such as her marriage, miscarriages, trolley accident, her operations, and more into her art. As well as biographical events, historical significant events also impacted Kahlo’s art and life. Her art was very unique since it was realistic, and stories of a woman’s life drawn onto paper through pieces of majestic art. Critics realized her art was revolutionary since she incorporated surrealism, realism, and symbolism. Her artwork portrayed her suffering throughout her life, painting reality not fantasy. “I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality,” (Laidlaw 10) Frida Kahlo’s paintings were her biography, her art emulated her life.

Works Cited Drucker, Malka. Frida Kahlo. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico, 1995. Print.

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"The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo." PBS. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. . Tuchman, Phyllis. "Frida Kahlo." Smithsonian Magazine Nov. 2002. Print....