Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈfɾiða ˈkalo]; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954[1]) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country’s popular culture, she employed a naïvefolk art style to explore questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society.[2] 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.[3]
“Frida Kahlo.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo. Accessed 12 Dec. 2021.
Frida Kahlo Paintings
The Two Fridas, 1939 by Frida Kahlo
This painting was completed shortly after her divorce with Diego Rivera. This portrait shows Frida’s two different personalities. One is the traditional Frida in Tehuana costume, with a broken heart, sitting next to an independent, modern dressed Frida. In Frida’s diary, she wrote about this painting and said it is originated from her memory of an imaginary childhood friend.
Rarely Seen Photos:
15 Fabulous Frida Kahlo Moments in Rarely Seen Photographs
As a huge Frida Kahlo fan myself, I thought I’d seen just about all the best photographs of the iconic artist, but today I stumbled upon an enormous archive of personal snaps on the Casa Azul tumblr site.
Photos via My Modern Met:
Rare Photos of Frida Kahlo as a Young Woman in the 1920s
Today, Frida Kahlo remains one of the most celebrated artists in modern art. In terms of subject matter, Kahlo favored self-portraits and scenes rooted in her Mexican heritage. Given the deeply personal nature of these themes, art historians and art lovers alike are able to learn about Kahlo through her paintings.
Links:
- The only known recording of Frida Kahlo’s voice
- Frida Kahlo’s clothes
- Museo Frida Kahlo