I paint my own reality.
The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to,
and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.
- Frida Kahlo
GALLERY
would become a stark reality (Frida Kahlo, 2008). My first impression of this painting is that Frida Kahlo is on her death bed, which is symbolised by the skeleton. The use of metamorphism is demonstrated as the mirroring of the skeleton suggests that Kahlo is descending into death. Whilst the painting’s theme is melancholic due to the thoughts of death, the artist also conveys a sense of tranquility, that Kahlo died peacefully and ended her lifelong suffering from her
The Dream (The Bed), 1940 by Frida Kahlo
The Dream (The Bed), 1940, is an example of a surrealist self-portrait by Frida Kahlo because of its metamorphic dreamlike appearance. In this painting, Kahlo is asleep, lying on a bed covered in vines and leaves. Above, on the roof of the bed, lies a skeleton mirroring Kahlo’s position. Although, the skeleton is wide awake and wired with explosives that could go off at any moment, indicating that Kahlo’s ‘peaceful’ death
physical and mental health issues. The artist uses harmony through symbols in this close composition, a self-portrait made of oil paint. For example, the vines growing over her body symbolises the growth and movement towards a new life with no more suffering. The skeleton symbolises death, a common stereotype in arts and literature. The background of clouds works in unison with the symbols of death, and reincarnation, stereotypes proposing that Kahlo is in heaven. Harmony is also conveyed using refined brushstrokes to create a smooth texture in the bedsheets, clouds, and skeleton. The use of organic line is used, and compliments the limited colour palette, with colours of white, brown, orange and purple. The artist uses contrasting types of tone, by placing a dark-toned bed against a bright background. This is effective as it creates emphasis on the image of the bed. The belief of reincarnation as symbolised by the plants stems from her religion of Catholicism, the main religion in Mexico. Catholic mythology is used as a theme in a few of Frida Kahlo’s works, including The Love Embrace of the Universe the Earth, Myself, Diego and Senor Xolotl,1949. Based on the teachings of Catholic churches, life after death goes as follows. Immediately upon death, the soul of each individual is judged by the Lord and sent to either an ‘eternal life or the damnation of hell’ (EWTN, 2001). This belief reflects, The Dream (The Bed), and suggests that Kahlo is transcending into heaven, due to the symbols of clouds, death and rebirth. The theme of life/death; The plants representing rebirth, and the skeleton representing death, the elements of art, and use of catholic mythology is shown through the theme of ‘heaven’ conveyed through harmony in Frida Kahlo’s, The Dream (The Bed), 1940.
The painting depicts a bathtub, with the dominant focus in the painting, being her legs. There are also images like a volcano erupting, a lifeless canary in a tree, and skeletons, to resemble her biography in the bath water. My first impression of this artwork was that Kahlo is reflecting on her childhood through these images. They suggest that she had a very sad upbringing, full of devastation, as seen through images like the invasion of insects marching towards her vulnerable body on the tightrope, links to Kahlo’s poor physical health as a child and an adult; growing up with polio, a bus-accident at 18, and her diagnosis of spinal bifida, at 23. The sincere and highly detailed images that reflect Kahlo’s childhood makes me empathize with the artist, and makes me more grateful for my upbringing.
The artist expresses rhythm, by using organic lines for the majority of the oil on canvas painting, with minimal geometric lines (i.e. the skyscraper, rocky mountains, etc.). The use of colour and is earthy-based, (in the mountains
and plants), suggesting that her upbringing was heavily connected with nature. The use of refined brushstrokes creates a 3-dimensional perspective, in a scattered composition. Elements in this artwork contribute to the rhythm, by the repetition of careful placement of the components. Many symbols are used to tell the story of her childhood. Her right foot, in particular, is shown as deformed and symbolises the many surgeries and physical pain inflicted in her past and the foreshadowing of her future amputation on that leg.
This artwork is heavily influenced on traditional Mexico during Kahlo’s upbringing. For example, the Tehuana dress, a recurring theme in Kahlo’s paintings, is floating alone and away from the woman, who appears to be the artist herself (Howland, 2017). She is unclothed, tied with string and looking vulnerable. This shows that she is separated from her culture, possibly due to her physical health, as seen through the symbols of the insects and her right foot. Another example of the Mexican culture shown, is the bird seen lying in a tree. It is a native, quetzal bird, which represents the Aztec celebration of worshipping the “feathered spirit” (Quetzalcoatl) (Cartwright, 2013), yet at the same time the bird represents Kahlo, as a part of the Aztec culture, with the creature impaled and missing a leg. Frida Kahlo’s What the Water Gave Me, 1938, is a surrealist, oil on canvas, that expresses rhythm through the elements’ theme of Mexican culture, as well as symbols to illustrate her suffering from poor physical health and upbringing.
The Two Fridas, 1939 by Frida Kahlo
The Two Fridas, 1939, by Frida Kahlo is a surrealist double self-portrait and is one of Kahlo’s most recognisable artworks. It is a surrealist piece because it is a depiction of her own reality through a congruous representation of a mirrored version of herself. This artwork was painted during her divorce with muralist, artist, Diego Rivera, whom she were divorced and remarried (m. 1929–1939) (m. 1940–1954). The double self-portrait appears to have two seated figures, holding hands. The figures are identical, besides their clothing, representing the artist herself split into two different personalities. Both Fridas have their hearts exposed. On the left, the first Frida is wearing a frilly white European Victorian Dress and is seen without a heart, holding scissors and graphically exposing an artery which connects her to the right Frida. The right Frida, who is wearing a traditional Tehuana costume, has a heart and holds an amulet containing a photograph of Diego Rivera (Frida Kahlo, n.d.). My first impression of this artwork was that it had a sombre theme particularly due to the missing heart in the first Frida, acting as a metaphor for her heartbreak over Rivera. Since one still has a heart, it suggests that Rivera had chosen another personality in Kahlo and hadn’t considered the other aspect
of her identity. To express her emotions from her separation with Rivera and the outbreak of World War II, the theme of balance in this oil painting conveys symbols like a bleeding heart, choices of attire, and a stormy background. Frida Kahlo uses organic lines, a variety of tonal detail, smooth textures, accomplished by refined brushstrokes and a dark-toned colour palette. The background is grey and stormy, which might resemble Kahlo’s inner turmoil (Frida Kahlo, n.d.) and shows the subject of the painting, the two figures, in a centered composition. The different dresses worn was a poignant issue for Kahlo, as she believed that Rivera influenced her dressing manners, which were the roots of embracing Mexican customs, as she was
excluded before she met Rivera (Bravo, n.d.). The left Frida wears a Modern European dress which she wore and had a taste for before she met Rivera. That was the Frida that Diego had abandoned. The Frida on the right is clothed with traditional Mexican attire. This was the Frida that was loved and respected by Diego, as resembled by her heart, as opposed to the rejected Frida. The bleeding-heart acts as a religious representation for the fundamental symbol in Catholicism. The symbol signifies the ritual held for Aztec sacrifice. This is also representing Kahlo’s position that she is in, her own personal suffering caused by Diego Rivera and the martial crisis (The Art Story - Modern Art Insight, n.d.). The Two Fridas,1939 by Frida Kahlo, is a classic representation of heartbreak and despair. The double self-portrait achieves a balanced painting through symbols of sadness and Catholicism, and techniques like a dark colour palette, and choice of attire.
What the Water Gave Me, 1938 by Frida Kahlo
What the Water Gave Me, 1938, is an example of a surrealist artwork by Frida Kahlo due to her releasing her subconscious through juxtaposed, symbolic representations of various events in Kahlo’s life.