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| WHO IS FRIDA KAHLO? (1906-1954) |
| Fifty-four years after her death, that is a complicated question. But an abbreviated glimpse of her larger-than-life persona can be found here. |
| The artist’s story began long before her birth. The Fates conspired a head injury and an overseas trip to ensure her conception. In 1890, her father, Wilhelm Kahlo of Germany, sustained a brain injury in a fall from which he suffered epileptic seizures. This occurred at the same time his mother died and his father remarried. |
| In 1891, his newlywed father sent 19-year-old Wilhelm overseas to Mexico where the young man fell in love and married Matilde Calderon. He changed his first name to Guillermo and never returned to his homeland. |
| Guillermo Kahlo became a photographer at his wife’s encouragement, and on July 6, 1907, she gave birth to their third child, Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon. |
| Frida's father, Guillermo Kahlo, Self-Portrait |
Frida wears a man's suit for a family photograph taken by her father in 1926
| Wedding photograph of Matilde Calderon and Guillermo Kahlo, 1898 |
Frida Kahlo Portrait, 1926 by Guillermo Kahlo
| Frida in New York, 1939 |
| If you think that’s a long name, her husband’s was even longer: Diego Maria de la Concepcion Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodriguez. |
| Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's wedding day, 1929 |
| The world might never have heard of Frida Kahlo if she had not boarded a bus on her way home from school in Mexico City on September 17, 1925. During a gruesome accident between the bus and a streetcar, she was impaled on an iron handrail (you really don’t want to know where…). She was just 18 years old. Her severely damaged body required more than 30 operations and months of extended bed rest to recuperate. During the excruciating recovery, Frida was given a box of paints and she was soon channeling her pain and frustration onto canvas. Catching the attention of famed muralist Diego Rivera, the two married, but could never have children (impaled, remember?). Their marriage was as tumultuous as their affairs were legendary. While Diego had a penchant for the ladies, especially his models, Frida was devastated by Diego’s affair with her sister, Christina. |
| Perhaps to disguise her withered leg and heavy heart, Frida Kahlo adopted a unique style of dress that suggested living life as a Fiesta every day. In a riot of color, she expressed admiration for her cultural heritage by incorporating fringed shawls, long embroidered skirts, chunky jewelry and adorning her head with flowers. |
| Bedridden Frida paints on her body-cast |
| Self-Portrait, 1937 |
| Frida in New York, 1939 |
| Although she painted many subjects, Frida Kahlo spent a lot of time translating her face into self-portraits. A stranger to a waxing pot, she refused to give up her thick, dark uni-brow and hint of a mustache. Often a rebel, Frida Kahlo was also known to have worn men’s suits. A portrait of this bi-curious revolutionary graced a United States postage stamp in 2001. |
| Self-Portrait with necklace, 1933 |
| For your viewing pleasure, there is a fascinating and beautifully made film by Julie Taymor called Frida that won two academy awards. It stars Salma Hayek as Frida, Alfred Molina as Diego Rivera, and includes Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Edward Norton and Geoffrey Rush among other terrific actors. |
| The soundtrack from the motion picture is swoon- worthy, especially “Burn it Blue,” performed by Caetano Veloso & Lila Downs. Really, it would be sad if you didn’t get the chance to hear this gorgeous song. Get ready for the goose bumps! Frida A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera is an essential read. |
| The movie, the soundtrack, the book |
| And for the simplified version of her life, there is Frida to discover, an enchanting children’s (also great for adults) by Jonah winter, magically illustrated by Ana Juan. As we read, watch, see, investigate further, and hear from other Frida People, there will be more resources posted here. Please email your Frida suggestions to: Frida.Chiquita.Kahlo@FridaPeople.com |
| The three Fridas enjoy reading about their early years |
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