1. Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo gelatin silver print. Oct. 16, Author Guillermo Kahlo ( )

2. Time Flies, Frida Kahlo, 1929, oil on masonite, 77
Time Flies, Frida Kahlo, 1929, oil on masonite, 77.5 x 61 cm, Collection of Antony Bryan
Frida Kahlo was born in Coyoacan, Mexico in 1907, and grew up in a beautiful blue house built by her father called ”Casa Azul”. (The Blue House)
She contracted polio as a child and walked with a limp. Because some children teased her, Frida created imaginary friends.
Time Flies, Frida Kahlo, 1929

3. The Bus, Frida Kahlo, 1929, oil on canvas, 26 x 55
The Bus, Frida Kahlo, 1929, oil on canvas, 26 x 55.5 cm, Collection of Dolores Olmedo Mexico City, Mexico
Her great imagination came to her rescue after she was in a tragic bus accident at the age of 18 that left her bedridden for a year.
Frida suffered many injuries including a broken spine, leg, ribs, and pelvis. She had to have over 30 surgeries throughout her life and spent much of her life recovering from the injuries and surgeries.
During her recovery Frida’s father gave her an easel and oil paints to keep her occupied. She asked for a mirror to be placed above her bed and began to paint self portraits.
The Bus, Frida Kahlo, 1929

4. Frida and Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, 1931
Frida and Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, 1931, oil on canvas, 39 ⅜ x 31 in, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
After Frida recovered from the bus accident, she met her husband Diego Rivera while he was painting murals at the Ministry of Education. The two shared a passion for art, communism, and the plight of Mexican peasants.
They soon fell in love and were married on Aug 21, Frida was Diego’s 3rd wife.
She was half his age and at 5’3 and 98 lbs half his size (He was over 6 ft and 300 lbs).
The couple was referred to by friends and family as the Elephant and the Dove.
Frida was known for including many symbols in her artwork. What symbolic objects do you see here?
Frida shows Diego holding his palette and brushes more tightly than he holds her hand, her way of showing that with him art came first. She holds no art supplies, to show that she valued him even more than her art.
Frida and Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, 1931

5. Self Portrait, Frida Kahlo, 1937
Self Portrait, Frida Kahlo, 1937, oil on masonite, 30 x 24 in, National Museum of Women in the Arts
Dedicated to Leon Trotsky
Why might Frida have painted herself standing on the stage?
What else can you tell about the artist from the details in this portrait?
Like many Mexican artists at this time, Frida found inspiration in Mexican folk art and pre-Columbian art and artifacts. This portrait shows the traditional Tehuantepec dresses and hairstyles she wore.
The stage-like composition of this painting is similar to religious devotional paintings called retablos. A ratablo is a small painting that would be placed at an altar.

6. Self-Portrait on the Border between Mexico and the United States, Frida Kahlo, 1932
Self-Portrait on the Border between Mexico and the United States, Frida Kahlo, 1932, oil on metal, 30 x 34 cm, private collection, New York
Frida’s husband Diego was the most famous Mexican artist of his time, and his work as a muralist took the couple to the United States. Frida missed Mexico and did not feel at home in the U.S. She spent much of her time painting alone.
Many of Frida’s paintings include symbols about her personal life, feelings, and experiences.
What symbols do you recognize in this artwork? Why do you think Frida chose to include them?

7. My Dress Hangs There, Frida Kahlo,1933
My Dress Hangs There, Frida Kahlo, 1933, Oil and collage on Masonite, 45.8 x 50.2 cm, Private collection
This artwork is part painting, part collage. Frida created this while she was still living in the United States.
Why do you think Frida chose to show her dress hanging in the United States instead of her self?
What symbols do you recognize in this painting? How do you think they add meaning to the artwork overall?
My Dress Hangs There, Frida Kahlo,1933

8. Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, Frida Kahlo, 1940
Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, Frida Kahlo, 1940, oil on canvas, 24 ½ x 19 in, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, the University of Texas at Austin
Frida struggled with her physical health throughout her life and her paintings frequently show the pain she felt as well as other details from her personal life.
Frida kept many pets including monkeys given to her by Diego. The injuries Frida sustained during her bus accident left her unable to have any children.
Frida painted this artwork after she and Diego were divorced. The thorns show her emotional pain. The dead hummingbird is a symbol in Mexican folklore representing luck in love.
How do you think these symbols are related to Frida’s life?
Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, Frida Kahlo, 1940

9. Diego on My Mind, Frida Kahlo, 1943
Diego on My Mind , Frida Kahlo, 1943, oil on masonite, 29 ⅞ x 24 in, private collection, Mexico
Also known as Self-Portrait as a Tehuana
Despite their tumultuous marriage the two seemed to have a deep love and understanding of each other.
Although Frida and Diego divorced, they could not live without each other and were eventually remarried.
Why do you think Frida painted her husband Diego on her forehead in this way?

10. The Dream, Frida Kahlo, 1940
The Dream, Frida Kahlo, 1940, oil on canvas 73 x 98 cm, private collection
Frida used symbols to tell a story in her paintings.
She told stories about her life of pain and her love of Diego, her animals and her homeland through her paintings and self portraits.
Although much of her work is considered to be SURREALIST. Surrealist paintings are typically imaginative or dreamlike.
Frida disagreed stating “I paint my own reality.”
How might the symbols in this painting represent Frida’s real life experiences?

11. Still Life with Parrott, Frida Kahlo, 1951
Still Life with Parrott, Frida Kahlo, 1951, oil on canvas, 10 x 11 in, Collection, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, the University of Texas at Austin
Close to the end of her life Frida’s health worsened and she was bedridden, but she continued to paint.
Her doctor forbid her to get out of bed to attend her last art gallery show, so her friends took her bed there and she rode to the opening in an ambulance.
She attended the party while lying in her bed in the center of the gallery!

12. Viva la Vida, Frida Kahlo, 1954
Viva la Vida, Frida Kahlo, 1954, oil on masonite, 59 x 50.7 cm, Frida Kahlo Museum, Mexico City, Mexico
Many of Frida’s last works were still life paintings.
Frida’s last painting was of watermelons entitled “Long Live Life” Although she was very ill, her painting is still bright, vibrant, and full of life.