Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo, by Guillermo Kahlo

Frida Kahlo (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Born to a German father and a mestiza mother, Kahlo spent most of her childhood and adult life at her family home in Coyoacán, Mexico City, now known and publicly accessible as the Frida Kahlo Museum. She is celebrated for her attention to Mexican and indigenous culture and by feminists for her depiction of the female experience and form.

Early Life

Kahlo, who was born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón, claimed to be born on July 7, 1910, the year of the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution, because she wanted her life to begin with the birth of modern Mexico. However, her birth certificate shows her birth date to be July 6, 1907. Kahlo's life was marked by physical suffering, beginning with polio contracted at the age of six, which left her with a limp. A more severe blow came at the age of eighteen when she was involved in a bus accident, which caused injuries that affected her for the rest of her life.

Career

Kahlo's accident prevented her from continuing her intended career in medicine, leading her to take up painting during her recovery. She painted mostly small self-portraits which mixed elements from pre-Columbian and Catholic beliefs. Kahlo said, "I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best." Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist.

She was married to the famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Their tumultuous relationship was marked by multiple affairs on both sides, and they divorced in 1939, only to remarry a year later. Despite the personal challenges, their professional lives flourished. Kahlo's work was not widely recognized until decades after her death. Now, she is viewed as an icon of Mexican national and indigenous traditions and by feminists for her uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.

Legacy

Kahlo's work has been celebrated internationally as emblematic of Mexican national and indigenous traditions and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form. Her Blue House (La Casa Azul) in Coyoacán, Mexico City, has been transformed into the Frida Kahlo Museum, which is one of the most visited museums in Mexico City. Her life and art continue to inspire various forms of media, including the 2002 film Frida, starring Salma Hayek as Kahlo and Alfred Molina as Diego Rivera.

Death

Frida Kahlo died on July 13, 1954, at her beloved Blue House. Although the official cause of death was pulmonary embolism, there have been speculations that she died from an overdose that may have been accidental or self-inflicted.

See Also

• Diego Rivera
• Mexican art
• Surrealism
• Feminism in art