The Art and Life of Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo, who is known as Mexico’s greatest artist, was born on July 6, 1907 by a father of German descent and a mother half Amerindian and half Spanish. She was the third child and had suffered through polio which left her right leg thinner than her left one.

In addition, at the age of 18 Frida got into an accident when the bus she travels on was hit by a trolley (Frida Kahlo, 2019). A steel handrail had penetrated through her body (Frida-kahlo-foundation.

org, 2019). Frida’s accident caused a great damage to her spinal cord. She had to stay at the hospital for weeks and at home she was forced to wear a full body cast for three months. However, the accident was the whole reason why the great artist started painting in the first place.

Painting was a way Frida could entertain herself while she was recovering (Frida-kahlo-foundation.org, 2019). She became well known for being a surrealist, painting self-portraits and the message behind each of them. At the age of 22, Frida married Diego Rivera, a popular Mexican artist at the time. Together they helped each other with their art careers yet, their relationship endured many issues. Diego has had many affairs, one of which was with Frida’s sister. And in 1934 Frida experienced her second miscarriage, she is not able to bear a child because of her trolley accident.

Frida was betrayed and heart broken. Yet through all that, Frida had an exhibition at the New York City gallery where she sold some of her paintings and was given two commissions. In 1940, Frida remarried Diego Rivera and the relationship continues the same as before. Frida’s father passed away in 1941 and she still was struggling with chronic health problems. In 1944, Frida painted The Broken Column, the painting expressed her physical challenges and became a very famous piece. Around the same time, she went through several operations and treatments for her chronic pain and in 1950 it only gets worse.

Frida fought on and continued painting and in 1953 she has her own exhibition in Mexico (Frida Kahlo, 2019). Finally, in 1900 Frida Kahlo passes away from a pulmonary embolism but some believe it was from an overdose (Frida-kahlo-foundation.org, 2019).

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