Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican artist born on July 6, 1907. Famous drawings by Frida Kahlo were mainly inspired by nature and artifacts.
She had a very different painting style and mostly opted to create self-portraits. As a result, the artwork by Frida Kahlo is wiser and leaves the audience spellbound. Kahlo, however, lived a tumultuous life because of her divorce, multiple surgeries, and a bus accident.
She expressed everything in his artworks through various symbols and representations. Tap into this lucrative segment that entails the class-apart paintings done by Frida Kahlo.
The Two Fridas
The Two Fridas by Frida Kahlo was painted right after her divorce from Diego Rivera. The painting shows two different personalities of Frida. Both of them are holding hands and have visible hearts.
However, the heart of the traditional Frida is cut and torn open. The main artery, coming from the torn heart, goes down to the right hand of the traditional Frida. It is cut off by the surgical pincers kept in the lap of the traditional Frida, and you can see the blood dripping on her white dress.
And she is exposed to the danger of bleeding to death. The stormy sky filled with agitated clouds in the background reflects Frida’s inner turmoil.
It was the highest-priced painting by Frida amongst all his other artworks. It is now displayed at the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacan, Mexico.
Self-Portrait With Thorn, Necklace, and Hummingbird
This artwork by Frida Kahlo describes a background of large green leaves and a yellow leaf behind her. There are thorns around her neck like a necklace held by a black monkey.
Her neck is bleeding because of the piercing thorns. Behind her shoulder is a black cat on the right side, whereas the hummingbird hangs on the thorn wrapped around her throat. Yet, despite so many outrageous activities surrounding her, her expression is calm and solemn. It is perceived as if she is patiently enduring the pain.
Frida Kahlo painted the Self-Portrait With Thorn, Necklace, and Hummingbird in 1940 and incorporated many symbolic creatures in the portrait. While the artwork doesn’t depict a realistic scene, it carries a small size yet a special message. But, using these symbolic elements to express her feelings was her way of expressing the hardships that she went through in his life.
Viva la Vida, Watermelons by Frida Kahlo
Viva la Vida, Watermelons by Frida Kahlo was his last painting done in 1954. It portrays bright and vibrant colors, showing the celebration of life in its simplicity of composition and complexity of emotional expression.
The painting, in no way, is symbolic of the fear of death. Neither is stuck on the same timeline that longs for the continuation of her own life. The painting features rich color contrasts, curves, and angles.
She inscribed a final message that reads Viva la Vida on the center watermelon wedge. It means “long live life,” and the painting was completed precisely eight days before her death.
Kahlo painted this one with great depth, showing that once her shell is cut open, there is an inner life. It is vibrant, fresh, and sweet. The seeds of the watermelons symbolize fertility as well as immortality. The seeds promise a new life forward into eternity just as the fruit is gone.
Viva la Vida, Watermelons – Frida Kahlo
Without Hope
Painted in 1945, Without Hope is a striking self-portrait describing a condition when her doctor forcefully fed her. When this painting was painted, she suffered from a lack of appetite. This was due to her many surgeries and severe illnesses.
Kahlo became very thin and malnourished, and her doctor, Dr. Eloesser, prescribed her complete bed rest. She was forced to fatten her diet schedule of puréed food every two hours.
In this painting, she depicts everything she has undergone with the “forced feeding” diet. It was disgusting food with animals, and the wooden structure held the skulls. The ones used to hold her canvases for painting.
It seemed as if her arms were pinned underneath, and she could not deal with the situation. The background shows the sun and the moon, just like a Mexican landscape. Overall, the situation translates to nothing but Without Hope.
Frieda and Diego Rivera
The painting by Frida Kahlo records the ups and downs of her marriage with Rivera Diego. In 1931, she drew this painting as a wedding portrait.
In the artwork, Frieda and Diego Rivera show what the Riveras’ marriage would get to be. Just like a solidly planted oak, Rivera looks colossal beside his wife. Trying to get his hands off her, he shakes his palette and brushes as if he is the extraordinary maestro.
On the other hand, the little feet of Frida scarcely brush the ground, making a beeline for her great mate. It is a painting that shows her favorite image of the genius’s adoring wife.
Frida holds Diego’s hand with the lightest possible clasp. She understood that his husband belonged to nobody. She knew while painting this portrait that Rivera had an affair with tennis champion Helen Wills.
Frieda and Diego Rivera – Frida Kahlo
The Bottom Line
Frida Kahlo was the master of self-portraits and let her heart out through his painting. Her paintings tell everything about her personality, from a broken marriage to a final goodbye; she captured everything through art. She was an artist like no other, and her paintings continue to inspire generations.