Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist, was born on in the house of her parents, known as Casa Azul – the Blue House – in town Coyoacan, the suburb of Mexico City. Her father - Wilhelm Kahlo – had German roots, moved to Mexico in his early age. Her mother, Matilde Calderon y Gonzalez had mixed Spanish and Indian roots. At the age of six, she has contracted the polio, which has made her to stay in bed for nine months. This disease has made her right leg and foot grow much thinner than her left one. She had to limp after the recovery from the polio. ("Frida Kahlo Biography.") This decease has burned in Frida’s heart interest to medicine, which she planned to study later at school. Due to the new education policy of the Minister of Education Jose Vasconcelos, in 1922 Kahlo has become one of 35 girls accepted to the National Preparatory School. ("Frida Kahlo Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works.") Because of having some issues with her legs, the classmates have created her a cruel nickname: “Peg-leg Frida”. ("Frida Kahlo.") Despite on it, she has become friends with a dissident group of – the Cachuchas. Being acquainted with them Kahlo has strengthened her rebellious spirit and become more interested in poetry and literature. ("Frida Kahlo Biography.")
After joining the Cachuchas, mentioned above, she fell in love with its leader - Alejandro Gomez Arias. In 1925 Frida Kahlo travelled with him on the bus and has nearly died in the bus accident, where she suffered multiple fractures throughout her entire body and a crushed pelvis. This accident has made her remain in the hospital of the Red Cross for nine months, almost not moving and bound in a plaster corset, which she has also painted. Due to this, Frida has discovered herself a self – portrait artist. As she said once: “I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best”. ("Frida Kahlo.")
Generally speaking, Frida Kahlo started painting in her early age and in most cases, her works were presents to her relatives. One of those was a painting “Tray with Poppies”, presented to her aunt. ("Diego Rivera Prints.") This painting was created in the "Art Nouveau" style, which was popular back in those times, when she was eighteen. She has got inspired by the Mexican art, which has made an impact on her paintings. This particular painting represents the presence of the nature in the combination with special Mexican traditions of art have created a Frida Kahlo’s art, significant for her.
Frida’s next period of life is characterized by her love with Diego Rivera, with whom she has got married in the 1929. Despite of the fact that this marriage was a connection of two artistic souls, it wasn’t happy for Frida. His biggest betrayal was a love affair with Frida’s sister Christine and Maria Felix – a film star, after which she has cut her long hair as a sign of the depression and almost got divorced. ("Diego and I, 1949 by Frida Kahlo.") Surely, it all has left its impact on the Frida’s works. One of the most famous her works of this period, which is the distinguishing mark of it, is the painting “Diego and I”, created in the 1949. This masterpiece represents the deep grief. It passes to the viewer Frida’s feeling of being hurt by someone she loved the most. Her hair is seen around her neck, which a symbol of strangulation. We see here Diego, painted on her forehead, right on her eyebrows as a symbol that he is always on her mind and that he is irreplaceable part of her. Diego was embodied with three eyes, which is a symbol of his mental and visual keenness. It also shows that his art is surrounding. This is painting of the person, who was strongly hurt. ("Diego and I, 1949 by Frida Kahlo.")
Going back to the specific Frida’s art style, it is important to mention that she has been influenced by Mexican culture, pre-Columbian and mythology culture that are present in her works. For example, such paintings as “My Nurse and I”, “Time Files” and “My Birth” are proving this statement. All these three paintings are the part of the series, dedicated to the major events of the Frida’s life, encouraged by her husband Diego Rivera. He was also fascinated by her works. The first one - “My Nurse and I” – depicts Frida, being nursed by her native Indian wet-nurse, as a symbol of her childhood. Her mother couldn’t breastfeed her, so the nurse was hired for that. However, the relationships between Frida and nurse are represented as cold and distant ones. Same relationships were between Frida and her mother – she didn’t feel any connection with her throughout all her life. Her Nurse is wearing a funeral mask of the pre – Columbian culture, which is a sign of the sacrificial offering that the nurse is making. ("My Nurse and I, 1937 by Frida Kahlo.") Her work “Time Files” represents herself in the traditional Mexican costume with the usage of the lovely and warm colors, present on all her works. This is a proof of the impact of the Mexican culture on Frida’s art, encouraged and also used by her husband. ("Self Portrait Time Flies - by Frida Kahlo.") The painting “My Birth”, created in the 1932, is the first one in the series that represent her major events in life, mentioned above. The painting shows us a woman under the sheet, giving birth to Frida. Above the bed, there is a picture of weeping "Virgin of Sorrows", which might be a symbol of her recent miscarriage. However, this masterpiece is a great example of the impact of the mythology culture on Frida’s works. Same scene we can find, represented by the 16th century sculpture of the Aztec Goddess Tlazolteotl giving birth to an adult male warrior. ("My Birth, 1932 by Frida Kahlo.")
Her last period of life is represented by the painting “Viva la vida”, created in the 1954, eight days before her death. This painting represents watermelons, as a symbol of the traditional Mexican holiday - Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. This holiday is usually depicted as the watermelons being eaten by the dead. ("Frida Kahlo - Viva La Vida.") Probably, Frida felt that her time to pass away is close. Among all others her paintings that were full of pain and death motives, this one is the strongest, in terms of the emotional influence. She was painting still life before and the series of her paintings have created the contemporary still life art. However, the last one could be a symbol of the sacrificial food to Gods and to the spirits in order to greet her on the other side politely.
Till nowadays, her paintings are being represented in various museums or private collections, which allow us to state that her impact on the modern art is fundamental. She has brought back to the publicity the Mexican, pre – Columbian and mythology cultures through her highly emotional paintings, full of extreme intimacy. Nowadays, her style of painting is being followed and even copied by modern artists; however all of them are realizing that the basis for their works and the main inspiration is in her works and Frida Kahlo herself.
As a conclusion, it is important to mention that Frida Kahlo has lived a life full of pain and depression. The only love of her life betrayed her; however, he still gave Frida few moments, full of love and passion that were represented in her works. She was a woman of a strong will; she seemed to be the one, who was not afraid to show up her feelings to the world. Her masterpieces are full of grief, sadness and pain. Nevertheless, Frida and her paintings have become the subjects for discussions of the psychologists, artists and other researchers. Her life story has become a plot for the biographical movie, named “Frida” and her art is an example for following. Indeed, Frida Kahlo has made a fundamental impact on the art world.
Works cited:
"Diego and I, 1949 by Frida Kahlo." Frida Kahlo. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.fridakahlo.org/diego-and-i.jsp>.
"Diego Rivera Prints." Frida Kahlo Biography (1907-1954). Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.diego-rivera.org/frida-kahlo-biography.html>.
"Frida Kahlo - Viva La Vida." ArtandDesigninspiration. 06 July 2015. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://artanddesigninspiration.com/frida-kahlo-viva-la-vida/>.
"Frida Kahlo Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works." The Art Story. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.theartstory.org/artist-kahlo-frida.htm>.
"Frida Kahlo Biography." Frida Kahlo. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.fridakahlo.org/frida-kahlo-biography.jsp>.
"Frida Kahlo." Arty Factory. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/portraits/frida_kahlo.htm>.
"My Birth, 1932 by Frida Kahlo." Frida Kahlo. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.fridakahlo.org/my-birth.jsp>.
"My Nurse and I, 1937 by Frida Kahlo." Frida Kahlo. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.fridakahlo.org/my-nurse-and-i.jsp>.
"Self Portrait Time Flies - by Frida Kahlo." Frida Kahlo. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.fridakahlo.org/self-portrait-time-flies.jsp>.
