Helga Prignitz-Poda

FRIDA KAHLOThe Painter and Her Work

Schirmer/Mosel

111. Frida and Diego's MarriageFrida '5 Sy'" bolic Lanr,uage ;md Su rrea lisrn

[,rid" KahIo', jJl)~gel'y abounds with symbüh ""d mel~ph()r.\, l-lidden "lIu,io"" ~mbLguitics, wdreftrences to literar)', histol'lcal, oc mymolOgJcal sourCCSJr:" po" (lf hu pictcmaI Ia[)gli~g" which,from the outset, ,he ~nlplo)'s with grcJt ma.srerl'_As che Ó,-cumstlL1CeSof he, life belome m01'e com-pliclted anel her phy,iul ~nd mental insnbilLr)' is compounclerl, her p"inting, too, becomes moreCOlllplex,W'ithdmwal te",!cI\Óes, el11otional dis11lpt;OL1S,wLd cspecialIy the groW11lg dj,ncp""C}'betwccn her outcr and i"nel" worlds mJnifest thcmsdves, ,t Lm to " cerrai" extent, 111 a growingm)'stific-"tion of her works dlle to lL1lTclsil\gly ,;opIustiutecl cover-up t"ctics "nd relOlllSe lo he'exte1lSiv~ know!edge and crGdi¡joo_ U,i"g f',w)ueL1tlj' rccurring motii, as CKnmples, this d1~ptCfarlempts tO ""ravd the JUysrer}' oihcr ","s(jucmde" lL1order to acbJ~v~" hetter understandLng oibe! W()1'k.

The RetablosSaon 2fter the wedding, w¡'cn I'r;d~ hod frecel hersdf ti-om ,he confLnement of ber parm¡,,1 home"lld had tr"vclcd abr",d witb I{iv""" f()1'che lirst ti;n~,an l'vcn pCU~1' brightncss sufti"eu hecr p",n t-

lngs, j f on Ir tempoorily Frida Vi":; on Ir twent)'-iive when attempting, WI rhollt ovcrpowering so," bertonel, to rid he.. ",uI of J hcavy, onI)' partiall)' ideL1tili"bIc bU1'den w two sndI-scale hirth 'l11agcstbat em"btl' SkX1C~11"otive paino ogs_ h HJ:¡"J r.'md !-h,pift¡,' (1932), a óymbüIic,11y f,,"u¡;ht cetlcctionon her mlSC<lr""gc,"he vl"wIizes tbe constaut revolvll1g of hcr guLlr-laden t),ougl1l:S arounu tbemisca,riJge, as wdl :<, her S(}Iitar}'grieving_ Througl, SL'[.,.e~l,de"d orgJ!lisl11s boveo,il)gphantom·like"murrd her oickb~cl, sI", cxp,-e"es a cutting, de", jJJin' he,- iL1abiIily to give hinh ro new Iife.EvcrrtllLllg else has faJd imo the d"tan! horiwn as m,<lpáfiu1.Ilt' lhe "ity, the people, "nd ~vcn ,hepaticJJÚ mom have disappe",~cl [wm her Lnttospcctive perceptio[), 'll,e only thing that COUllto arlo,he (T)trJl'hOL"Lcallycondensed thüughrsbllaing al'Oulld hc, b~d, travcling fromone trauma tí) "'l(}tber, tied r.o her bod),with blood-rcd &tring" Iike 11mbdi"al(Oro" W'beo, m hu ,,,bsc'lueL1t i'aintillgAl1'BJilh (1932, pL 4), :;hc "&"Ll1borrowsfmm the tradi¡ion of lhc Mc",can '"labio, itbccome, lbunelancl)' de"[ in the fLgureoftbe woman sciIIglving bir'n mat she W'1.I1tsw c",t off and leave bdlinel ,he burdcn ofche ¡mt aS ir through a 'pdL F6da L'<obvio01)51)' lo"k.illg 101'a radIcal break ".'itb thcpJst anJ" ne\\' beg11loing.Thut we"e sev-eral reasons ior be[ SlIdelen preferencc lor(he Mabh genre, one bcing its rmditiomrl-Iy' smalI sule (sm"ll enough lor It lO bepainred ewn in a sickbcd), Abo, Lt"lIowcd her to cOllvey her ,uffering andp1'oximit)' ro deach in 8 much mOre

Frjo,Kailro,llco.yFo.'o'Hmpitol, '9)2. Oil00 mel,I, 12y, 'x 15:\"Mu,eo D010:o, O:mcdop"tii,o.MOXj(.0Cjty

Dloch, J"u~hw' of theLP=' E,"", Bln..\',;0 'SOI;n ("",,",', '0,1

¡LheUo¡"d S"", in 1~'7,'l\ ,r.;" i)('I:;df aod);'g<! 1(;,."",, a<s~,"n[

Dimiaoff, 5hc m,dc,otograph> üf l~vcrl,wcll" v"r io,;,"","

[Fria" Sho ¿id in 'o/N;"

"'oo!s;[ l!i¡"HJ Ul""" d_["vl"U (M,w y",k'

k, l~:,J, "1981.;n H,)'dco Hwcm,IJio~l;;ph)''Ih·¡,-':" K,../,I"

'ock; l-),'Pe,Q,IH",

''', 19'1J), 1)9,

'tralgh,fom'",,1 ami gr"phlC manner, 'Jnce, according 10 popular bdief, lhe reuNo lS abollt a cry forhdp ,ent OH(to the di\'lL1epowen lL1the greacC'stL1eed.Frida by no mea", adoptcd tlle ",!tibio g~[)[Cuntlltercd, however. He!'s are obvl(lusly nO( images d01l1ted on ¡he basLsof a pledge, üffcred in thechnrch ~s ~ gifi' 01 th~nks ior h>lving b~en saved ¡rom dJngcr Or iUnes>,FridJ lnmsJonned thetraoitioo of >,ocivepalL1tiog-wlueh, in MexJco 0.< ll1every CathoIic coumry, waS wiJcspre:v.l-in btrvery OWL1way Her pa1l1tingsneither indude a wricten pledge nor ,1" ,mage of ,he ,aim caIleJ upon.She pOl'lraysher,elf", someOlle who i3 !lot onl), ,solated in her sickL1ess,bU! abo abandoneo by atithe di"ine powers anrl left lO her OWIldesein)'_OOllbtSof J vC'T fllnd"ment~1 l1atllrear"e 111pa",t-jng' slIeh '" Aj¡ H¡'l" "nd Nmr¡-' Fod Narpi!ti/.

The Traditional Tehuana Ores,

Undoub¡edly, ¡he morrioge tORivem iniliolly openeclup enti¡,ely !lew perspective" rOl' F"da 1nhe,innate thirst Jor kllowledgc, she e~gcrlyabsorbed especiall? tlle enCO\\lll'ers",ith "rtisrs, pr1"()os, ,1ndcoIlector, of the North Amem:an cultural ,cel1e,Diego Riverawa, the focu",of ",ide public attentionbcyond ¡he mO''<'wnfi ncd 'lrt world' he w~s Crequcntly qllotcd ,n ,he p~pers, ~nd hi" po,"tings ,,'erelhc Sllbi~ctof hC;ltecldcb"tcs, Mü[~ i,npona"t, I'e "ttt"ct~cI young male "5 \Vdl "S (emale ""ti"" whowoukl ocn,jo""lly ",,;ist \Vit!. th~ (l)lInd" I\fa,,)' üfthe,e 1)~C"'ll"do:;" friends of rhe couple, wmeoí them IO\iCl-';,hid" at the tiIIl~found an lntimatc. fncIllI1Illllcil'nm' B1üeh, ",ith whom s¡'e wouldshare the grearest se(rets throughout her life.L

Frida ,'ery quiddy Ie"rn~d to "J"pt ber appe"rance te> difIerent sitllatiolls, I\lrcacly within J fewmOl1thsof he[ arnval ;0 the IJoited State" peopIe were h"unated by htr cccentric demc<l1lor,ThisphenomenoL1i" v,,.idIy described by Edwa,-dWeston in a dJ",? encry fmm December 14,1930;

1 mel Diego' 1 ,'tom] bdlind a slOnc block, ,tq-'Iwd out '" he 1uUlL\~tcddownsui,., mto R"lph's courtya,d onJessop P!ace-aml he took me dc"r olf lU)'fcct il)011embrace. 1 photographed Diego agolf', hi, nev.' wife-hieda-too: shc js i"shorp controst to l.upe, pe¡;te-a bttle doll ,110ngsideDiego, hut a doll III"le onI)',fo[ sht is strollg .wd quite beautifuJ, shows vcry liule oí he! Úr.h.er'sGermanblood. Dressed LOnative co.<mmeeven to h""TaJ)(t [traditionaI [ndi"" sandals],she Clu,es mueh excitemcllt on the "rrcer" of'S~n FranClsco_People stop in theirlmcks tolook 'o wooder. \,:re ~te A" litrle hali"" rest"uml1!, whefe many of theartists Vd1cr, rcCllkd old (bys in Mcxko, with prOrJ.llSCSof meeting soon 'gOlI1LI1Carmel"

lt scems that !'rida ~tfirst te,']ly onl)' jntended to assnlllt [he tr~diÚonal role of [he oll1'om.-e"rtid,\Vife ,t,,~ding by her husbJml. Ver)' soon, bo"",cyc,, ,he stvrted 1'0paint hefself' with devOledprofe,si()~"li,m, >(, that already in an intervi"w in Februar)' 1930,she could daim jokiogly, thol1gho.or",ithout a cert~Lndc5'nce' "Of couJ'se, he does pfete-)'weIl rOL"" littIe boy, but it is 1who amthe big arti,t"\

Fl'ida, .fte,. aIl, hao experience living with a profouod inoer splic, being torn betwe~!l tlif(crcntpersorJ"lities_SO1l0W"he assumeo a new role and, wjth time, performed it olmost to pe[fection.FritlÚ "Cbplation ro (he chmged C'l'Olmstancesof her life wa" however, inco.uplete, in that sheheld on t(l "pan of her formcr iJentjtl', which rcsisl'ed rhe tm",form~,ion ami constantly lcvolredaguinst hidOs 'iudden new conforming W"l". The fael' I'h~r,to her, acting "" ,he Ioving wife w:Js

Frld. K.I,lo,My Ore" f.lC"gj Tllore 0'Ne\'/ York, '933011'.1d coll"geo.' ,\I,,,,0,;t<,,3' x '9%"O'.tee [100"01 ¡,t"te

aC(lIaUy a rok i, iml)]¡ecl by the cmpty Tehuana drcss, n reUlf[CllI mo,,1 lil l,O paintillgs, P¡CVjOllS

lOher ffiJrriage, she luel never WOf11(his folkloflc d,e", I.rFrida Jll of a sudden ma,k il he1' favorl(co\ltfot, sh~ &d so nO( la a[JYW"l' became it s"ited her very ",di Qr be,"use Diego RiY~nJ liked il.

ElhnQgraphically, che Jl,k"""'l wsrume {Jfthe Tehl10nJ b", " ve'")' p"L"cicuIarmeamng: (""Ii ,ion~1 te>

the sllbtropical reg1()n borde,ing 011 lvrexiw's Thdfic c"",dinc, " is worn by the Wül!)~lI of theYllchit;ín reglon in Tehuantel'l'c, \Vhile lhe men in this region lcnd to be more dome,tic, ,he

women to tbe pre,ell( J"y dommate th" commNcial ~ml socbllife in the m~rketpIac( Jnd in th,"bu[s, Tehuan(qKc ,hm be!ongs ro on~ üf (he few ,egions in the wodd where matriatchy "prcserveJ. \VOlUell rhere do not set gre"t ,to,,' by slender waists, bU! rathc., W>l.nl:ro demonstrote-

~Ot Icas¡ with thetr volnminous dresse,-¡h"t tl,cy Jl'e soIiJh built "nd wdl-red, j1o"cssing "corresponding opacity rOl" work. Thc dress of' tlrc '!ch"an" becamc J kind o[ I",llrnark for FriJJ,Whc,.eve, ,he aµpe,1reJ in pulJ!¡c in lhL",tl"ditiollJl costUUlC, 11", new'papcrs would rcpocr on her

captivMing pL"esence. Already t",ck (i1CIl, the first glam01'om hid" vogue ""as set off- c.ve') ,he(Ové" of fashron m"g>l711,eSoH of>l $\ldden fe"turccl moJel, 1Il lhe htes( TchuJ\1J looI:. ,\,1<1 tofcida, too, the outfit WJ&ultimJtdy nar mlleh morC lh>lo ~ statc.wmt WLrlUL1hfr theJtncaI roJc'Fhy

She ocn,ioI",lly gLves cfntcr S(f'ge to thc 'J}h,,"n~ dre,s in ber wo[b. iH)' Dmr fLmgs Tbm, or .!\"IW'Mik (lSl33), I'lr i[)s\Jnc~, .<how, ~ costume cbngling, out of lhc bluf, fro!ll a clothesline stretcheJ

"cros, the bizorre citySC".1pe01 Ne.w York City "' if i\' ",ere palt of un ore inwdlarion \Xihile ¡¡,eempty Jrcos 's JispIaycd 0l'enly Ln µubljc 111tlw crty, its \Ve,,"r sccms 10 havc disJ,'pe"red from

the [,ce of I:be eorth

\'('ilh the s"me Lnl, grten, 1ml ",bite color coITlbij)~.lion as l!l iH)' O"", J-Jti¡¡g¡ TJXN," th<' empty

Tehmn" d,eos ~bo appc.u-s in Affmor!'., Oc '{'he Himi (1937, pI. [O). In ju,mposi!io[l wirh ~ SImi]",I)'orphancd schoolgirrs unifonn, the w,tum~ hel'e hallgs suspended (rom ,1 mrd, frcel)' howringlbove the se". \'{'irh a -'LOgleJnD attachcd ro lr, che shdl ofdle TellUOI!",¡"css tries to pulI che r~"l

!'ricia,who L"drcssccl in wIlL(~,aWJ}'Wilh il. hid", "' rcturn, sllccls a [hiIcL tc"rs, 'lI1ee, in order tobe able to sail aw"y with I'h~CleJmana drcss, ,he r~"I1y wo"k1 have to rid hel'seIf oí Llw l11el11ocicsorhel' scI1QoIdays FxactIy tlwl, howe\'er, ,~ems 10 be somctbing she f,nd, diWc,-,lt tu do, judgl11g [mm

Th', ,k;cLj, coooced ¡" f,.

g""n~h gho5t (01,,,, ,he h1.e., 'h' tlou,d;k, lOf, nl l(olo,dhlood.

rile pe<:uli", b"larrcc bctween {he two Jresseó suspended in a yaCumn, JUS¡ like in the do¡'ipdgdngél"pomail o(:lil( "lit'o FI;:Í¿/f lrom 1939 (pI. 17). thc rcal [<rid" is nOl i",ide the Td,tI"!l~ drcss. \Xieal'lng

rhe Tehuan" drcss in char poinr.Lllg lS, "fter all. the \'ery Frida doulJk who,'c trallspbntcJ l,"líhc~ITis merely placed "ppliqllé-likc 111fj'oLltof the body, whil~ th~ lifc·giving blood o,culation is fed byJ Diego I()cht lJ1 h~, hJ1JC1.I\nd '" IV!;.allh, Ir,,!,¡- G':HI Al<' (1938, pI. 14) ir is aga1110L1emply drcssthar is /1oating in a I",htub ,idt b), side with rile stl1lngled cOL'p,e of FrilL.. Jl,lo[covcE', ,he corp,elook, more lih a m~nlleq\l111¡han a ,.eal female body madc of llcsh and blood. The '¡dmaWl drcos

thus l"eprcsents a hida dIO, in (he ",·¡ist' Sperso"al ,.ealic)',doc, not e.xist, [rida m~reli' u,es tbe gdrb.5 J vehicle for m"sqlleraJing, for t"king ün (iw dcmeanor apl,,,,ently cxpected of hec: Cll'able,i~Jcpcnclent, Jnd self-a",sured. Curiou,ly cnollgb, che 1'elmall" dress feltureJ in all of ,bese p"Lnt-

ing, .dheres to one ~ndtbe s~me m"deL foIlo\Ving hid,J's subjcuil'e color 'ystem, tl,e skirt hus theliglLtg'W1 sh"de of gho.-t garb, as opposed to the complementa[y' blüod-rcd color o( ¡he rol', whicbdispbys, in its golden trim, a SL1akelik~p~ttern invoking Cwthql!c, the eartb goddcss of the )I..fe;acHl

creation myth, I\S legend has it, shc-and, by cxtmsioEJ, (he canh-lived off rbe bIood of men'shearts. The intimid"cing cosrume otO rh" cruel godde." collsisted oi' a skin made of sL1akc, "mi a topmaclc ofintedl11ked heart,\ and scvercd hand&. Although Co"dique sur\iiv~s onl), ~s~n unl>aLntcJsrorre sClIIpturc, hcr OI'l1Jmellts seem m suggest that her devotiollal JJnoge O[lgmally waS ,cnde,.cd

in a green-red (olor COot'~3t.

The Wall of Leave,A by f"r more frequl'llt moti!' in FridÚ pLctOl'd laL1guagc are the IcJ"Cs, whlch for a long limcremaincd cnigmatic. Inspemng more do,dy the lcnf' rormatiom LnAl)' l\i/lrret/!w' r (1937, 1'1. 9), as

well as ltl Tiw NiII//J ¡!ll!;.' F"rn! (1939, pI. [5), onC uoes ",,'ive Jt o logical expIanaliofl "ftcr "U. For~II thei, fLL1enes.-,the oversizcd leaves, which are usually ,I10wll wi(ilOu, ITunks, bmnche" or fwits,are denrly huilt up into prolcctivc WJlIs. Parli,ulady promLnent i, d,e WJIl or leove, JJ1 ,he he""ti·ful sm"lI·sOJIc ponmir of ,he charming ¡ljai'idl/il Afol'ilk S4'¡ (1944), daughlcr of ¡he engince, llld

Kablo oollcclOr EJum!o Morillo S~(a. The litde girI i, not only procected in tbe back by ~ denseW~¡¡of Ieoves, but (he material of he[ dress is "Iso aJorLled with int([woven leaf' p~trern" as if itwtrC " (l1agic~1"ese In heroic epic, of the (l,tiddle Ages, kings, knight" Or slIltans wO!lld wearprot<xtivc vcsts unde,. the!!' armo", which wcrc prcpal'ed acco,ding to aIchemistje and ",aglc.1

recipes. "iOjalá, Ojalá!" (littk leaf, litrle le~f!) LSthe pai~ced wisb f"ido seem, to have incorporated

During ehe thirtie, "mi forties, Frid" "Iso rrcqlLcntly re",,,d to ¡he l,idden symbolism of allothe,

type of ga,m<:fl!; she prckrred ro pOl'lfay he[sdf in a sinlple ",hile blome whcnevcr shc "lIudd roebssicJI onythologr DI a l're-Hisp'lllic Icgcnd 111he, self-portrairs. E>wmplcs ""e Me (mj Al,' Ptirro'!.!

(1941, pJ. ~3), where ,he S(y'lized h""df '" a I'ellthe"de,-likc figure surroulldcd by "yian AnulOn,or p"r<'OC"and S,rporm", ,,'¡Ih Tb""ii j\I,d,/tM ti"'! HtlwiJlingf,-irJ ('9':>, pI. 2[). ",hieh "Hudes to ¡hemytb of ¡"'iedca, No! coiocidemnllr, ",hite was lbc d""ical color of Anec ", weIl as ancicOl Greckd,css, Dyeing ,he then commoll nJ(U¡a1 fibers cotwn, wooI, ""d linen "'JS time-con,umlllg, JllU,

accorJingIy, everycl~j' dorhing in aH of ch,sicaI ~ntiquity W"f mo,rly wbite. 111lvk,ico, mo,.wver,",hire \Va.,üJosidc[ed the colo,. oí Quetzalcoatl, the cver-cllanging personification ,,1 tlle m)'lh oCche beglllning Jnd the tm! of the world, of old oge and illne" "He! r~inCJrl\"lion 11l rhe Easl. On twoomsions, ,n Sdfl'oltrtÚ! u:i!h MOJlkep (19~3, pI. 27) "nd in Sd! l'Mrrli¡ wilb lb: Pon""i! of DI: farill (1951,pI. 42) Frid" ~Iso pomay' herself a, a doctor in Ivilitc. 1'0 lb" lJL"ol;,ssioll,which she was ,JI toofamiliar witb amI tu w],ic], sl>e wan,cd to hdollB so mueh, dlC white coat has aIM1Y' bcc!l lhe

prcsuibcd gal·b, Ir nO! a scatu> 'ymhoI.

JIlctaphoricaII y in the po,-t",it, pIe"ding fÓr l\hri;lrd,prote<:tion, lt ¡, an inGtlltatioo deriving from ,\wbk,

,mplying: "Plea"e let ,"oth"'g happen ro he[!"Benring in 111,no he, own tnumatic childhooti cx-pcrience, p,id" cxprc",es her COncem ro, the IittlegirI eVOGllivdy

In he[ di"ry, p¡ida writt>: "Le.vcs. bbdc,. cupboJrds.sp"no,,,., I sel! 1t ~¡¡for nothlllg. ¡do not belie,," 111

iIIusion"> Befe she lisrs ~n¡he im.1gir:wy thing' th'H

she JS a c],jId h"J I~;d out for hcrsdf f'Jr jOl"olcCI';on:leavcs, perhap' (ro!))" bu,h, bdumI which sk wuldh;de; a I",¡fe "& ,1. poten,,"1 ddcmive wcapo,,; thecupboard 111 whid, "he hid with her .,iSlcr Ii-om the

Zap,1tistJS: the 'I,",TOw, a PinzÓn Ol' GorriÓn, whose"ó" ,üwJ as an opening rhJ'ough which fhe couIdc,caP" en " diffcrmt lealir)' v/hCT(, ,he would meethef othe!' self. Since ,hc 1l0W h"J Diego "' herkmghr, ¡he wanted to I'oss on tbese protective tooJ:;

symboliuIIy in he,. p'l.iutings a& well-the? wel'C ouIyim8JliLlaryaLlp""y, ln adJition, wheL"eve¡,ir s~mlcd to

make scnse i" terms of compmitioll 'L"cl content,

prida rJ'wd to ,110W one of the leaves i" [C\ierse, illustrming rlw ,,-1cOJ(icanphm.se "turning a leA,"wh "h me"", "changing the ,uhlecL" Or "talklL1gObOUlsometh 1 ng cI,~,"The lL1vertedleaf thm ~Iw"y$Indicat", JnOlOer le\ie] of me,n;ng bdllnd the Jppa¡,enr on~.

Fria, K,hlo, Po,t,~i!of ¡"I,,,iaoa MonVo Soja, 1944Oif 01.1"n',.", 1,)', " x "',"Priv'lt wllectiGn, N,w Yo"

The S~ilboat

1l1e ",ilboats fe"rllrcd in ,Ome or' l'rida\ pallHings S~~mto denote" pun eXl"'cssing" verr ,imilu!ide;>,)\lst like "tmn,ng :; leaC ,,,¡;',,~sailing-can relá lO covering up some,hing JS wdt. in Frida' S work

sailbo,ts, wh'ch by ddi"ition a,e hardly cvcr found 111¡he Mexic\1l hl.ghLmds, suggest ¡hat Some-thLng 's (lot "ckoowleclg~d for wl"'t it is, An eadl' e>:aJ11pIeof ~ s~;¡IJo"t lLsed 10 a wmboIic con¡ext. .

io rhc wooden model"hi!, In POi1ré! ~rDI: Leo EtOfwr from '931 (lig, ~. ,'>4). prid" portra}"s the (hicIphy¡ician of S,1npuoci,co Genenll l-lo'p¡,,1 at lhe age of forl:y-niuc, Leo Eloesset w"" for ~ long time

ha phy,ici,1n ~s ,",dI as ~ close ín~~d whom ,he woulcl (omult time Jnd ag"in "' ~n cxlcmivecorrespündcnce, 1" Pl'ld~'s port"it, he;s shown standing in a Órk interior, resting his cIbow on otable. Tlw figurc of thc phy'¡CJ~r.lapp~ar, to be süUll'what dlsprop()rtion~rc, pechap, leo Floesscr

lwd Ml ulluslUlly smalI scom,c, Or mayhe Fri(j,¡ ddibemtely chose " ,,",ve ilnd, in terms oC pCl"Spel-tivt:, awkw"rd sfylc (Jf raio t;ng in ""del' to capture her tr;end's kiml ness. "Ooct()[cito qu~rido," w.-'lhe dimillnti,·c [orm ,he I;ked lOuse t0 tCJSChn friend EJocs,er, Ll1th~ lJortnit, ,tands with his back

en a w"1I rhat has a drowing of the Hol)' family 00 ir, The ,kerch symlJüIiully refe!s 10 hida Kahlo's

concspondence with Eloess~r (cg,w:ding her several plegn'''lcics and obortions: io he,-llfe, 100, thepum en sta,,! ~ familr neve¡, wcut beyond chc draft stagc. €loess""" model ship ¡, w0l'ked ill elab-orate demil, bdying Diego's st"kment thJC hiela did nOI k"ow ,"ilboJt5 fi-0111he .. 0\vn cxpcnenceAIreldy Ul hcr first penÓI sdí·µortnit [rom 1927,Elprimtrdib1!jod, mi rida (fig, p. 3i), ~ s"ilhwt, alhei¡,1sinking one, " rendcrcd in ac(umtc detai16 Usually, the ,"iJs painted by prida, as in JVhtlt tlx ¡f!wrGmf<'Al" ('938, pI. 14) 1re billowing in the wind; in the pOttrail ofO['. Elocsscr, ],owever, (hej appear

flx DiatgFi'"cr., iWJk'"")'. M,,¡eo, N,w 1'0Jn <1" ",,1\· d~wing, <1,¡nEog uade< fulf.",il,",,,I>f<,,,, cc,u'iooiag 'Rp,ri!, luc","g;n" ",rb,',irioi". W"'" d"dfowdi!¡;ndt 'o J~",,,,

cM, r,hlo. Portrait of ,ir LeDE/oe.l,I"', 19J1Oil on Mo,o"ite, J)t x '3;'," emUn;versi!)' al (,Iile,rn;, SChO"1of Medici,1e

Frid" Kahlo, The first D",wing Di i,~'¡Jfe, 'S'7Po",il en p'per, '7", n..j"Mu,o~ f, ;(1. K.',lo, Mcxico eity

renMrkabIy t1at "nJ"s;f merely seWll omo the mas!. The model sili]' re.llj' srand, Inen 1n ¡he s~mcwooden hshioo as the physician in bis mit, mthe .. nnf"shiOll"blc ror I'Ire carly Thirties, with it,surched (oUnNo breath of winJ bI"w, thml1gh rhe ['()om, ,es Ihis would o(Jl,. 'poil th~ peacdill, unel\l(Jc mood01' thc image, A" ev,dence ()f ~ wilcd Inl(h, tia: ,bck ",ib IIllght abo sugg:est thar FridJ had evenf()oIed he, f,-,elld Leo Elocssc,., not "'antillg to lIlibt" he[ "tones in tront of ¡um.

The 5traw Horseman, Judas, the Skeleton, and Pre-Hispanic (Iay Figures11, g~llmwconseoSlls has ir, rhe Prc-Hjsp,mic ,culpcu[e, repeatedIy reamred in fmla\ IVork atercfcrcIlu's to ",tifaets from Diego ru.'ed, cxttn,ive ami lmpoltant mllection Ri"em's p"lsion 1'0,mllecting enabled friela Kahlo to K'lUlr~ extenslve knowbigc of swlpl'urc ftom fhe l'rc'Hispanicperiod, whi<h "be W"-' able t<l tmnsposc ilCWr"ldy ,,,.el iElvcnti\'cIy into he, p"lntingo_ Moking smallindividual changes, "he (Llrncd (he objccts mto emblem, of her ()wn biogmphy_ Tbe paintcelfigurines, which "omerimcs h~ve theír fcct intentio,,"lly elomaged or f,tring ball cuds JelclccLsome-times theJr hcacJs (hoppcd 011, refcr to orIy epuoJe., oi"her lite, espec.ially her childhood, Thus, ifFrid, LocorpOr8tC' anciwt ,cuIptures ""O he,. self-pOrl'mlts, shc does so not Olll of romantic 'l(}S-taIgi" fo[ the Mexicon pase mdler, th~y ace "[]Cüd~d remllll'Cel1Ces Of" chilrlhood she Slmply is~nable to shake off. Seciog thcrn tbis "'"Y opens ul,.n enrirely nc", appm<lch (O ¡wO of tl,C mosthermetic paintings in her OW\ice; T/x F,mi' lilbab,/m¡¡, fiHfX/m nnd 'Ux Wo,'!!ded Jábk.

The painting tided The [iOllr ["bab;k!!.'!' ~rM,xim. írom 1938, ís I()lk~d "W"Ytoel"}' ll1 a plJvate collec-tion in CalitornlJ "nd has not ueen cxhibited Pllblidy fo,- a long ti<11e-we elo no! cvcn have a decentphotogn' phie tcprodl'Üion oí il, One oí the <110StobviollS qucstiOllS 16lIows [rom its \iery tide, \Vhycloes ir ¡efee 1'0oul}' íüur lllhabita~t" when the pailHing dcarll' ¡(;atures fiH figures:" cbiId,Judas,

[lealh, the smlpture "f 1 pregnaL1t wOIIl111and i' StWWhotsennn. Howevcr, ,he lnconolstCr)ÓCSdo

IlOt cnd lherc, W'hc'"eJs"1I ocher pal1lriL1gs"f FL"idal(ahIo arC without shadows, her", for once,"natural tfea([nent of lighting is sin"datcd, 1)[by (he settLng- sun, the íigurcs vthcrcd in (he centeL'of" marketplace cm long ,hado",;, On the "sphalt. 'J1\is is" ve,,)' LntrJgui~g Jspect of Kahlo's workOn the "ne ham!, adhaing tO" durdi,tically s¡'~jJcd woddv,ew, .,he loved to pre,cnt n~t"rnl oppo-

,ites; ag"in "nd again, ,he wouId JLLxt"PO'~püilltcd COn\r8SIS,1\ he,. mt: hlack .0J white, Yin ,ljld"Úog, the m3k and t'he felllJIc pnnciplt, dmknes8 am! Iighl. Aad hcr life too seews to hm'e evolved

fmm oppo.,ite extremes, considcring that crotic Jt\!Jction ;0 ustlally born fwm "" oppositionSex\Uliry was the pLvot of her Iife "' wdl a5 hu- arto Both [he p"ssion she lived ",i,h ilud I,(T f'l.;lcd

attc1llpts ro live p"",ioootely are eVluencn! lJ1 lwr work. 'fhM js one e5sential rca'OL1hu P"illtillgs",diMe the ;n¡cnse, ch~rged, contaglous ,ensuaIit)' ,h"t makes thcm so popul,,. today A[cordingly,

it seem, Iik~ a pa[¡"iox that Fuda Kr,hlo, being 50 p,-eoccup¡ed \vith pobr opposÜCs, was "lole lOdispense with dll'ect light or ('veo the hint of a ,hadO\v;n hcr work. Evel1 ""hen the sun ami moon8ft "p in her pieco","1 ,bes, the heavcnl y bodi,,, me ''''pended from tbc f¡rmumen t rather l,lce driedoonges or de~d I'Ock masses. Rather than n,di"ting, tbe;,. I.ight 1X:r)l>l.InScold. ThLS LSaH the mOrt

,urprising foc an Jrtist com,ng from "CQtllury ",hefe the SU" ,hillCS "Irllos[ ",ceS5>lnlly. If ligllt, lJ1

namre, is thought of aS somcthing that gh,cs Me, ¡he" K:,hlo's pamtiags ofte.!] "ppe>lr ,crn,,,bblyduU, as ir o\'C1'0lst, in a S1l51)ended ,tate. The Jtmosphcrc sccms I:rJns(~ndent rathe[ tlm1 c:<rthly,

Ew[y tüWIl in Mex;co, I"rg" o'' small, has its zdmil', a market s'luarc wbete people meet "tier wo,kOttm, the,,' wiU 1,,-,1]lll:;ic,,,,,,! (he yOlJng \vomen mcumambuIat€ the music pJvjJjon in ,he center

ofthe sqllore 111Qne JirC'ccion, whllc tb" yOll[]g rl1Cll[l"ce in rhe "pposite d"ection.ln rllis rounddance, ncrvonc hvs Dnopponunitr to make ere contalt ,nd nirt. Pcoplc wolk arm in ~,m, chat, andlaugh whiIe <lt tlle same tune they ear und dno!':. 1'ndÚ Úm!o \Il '11;" h11il' !"!K¡/,,Ónll ofilkucv,bowever, exudes nOne of tbc sensuJlj¡y for wh,eh Mexi()', 'quar", '[~ ("'1)ou>. '¡'he fLgures ,re

Frid, K,hlo, ¡emir,'nhabitonts oJ ,'Aexiw CitV.1938, Oil O" wood. ":" "X18~ .. Privot, collectioo, C,lifo",i'

'R",i,," (lh, utrJ, 1(0,")'her wi,h h,,· _""dme>, [,iJ,

:,~,",d, """ úf Lh,.""" ",,,,e"""~, i" 19",n v',-.,;"n& '1'''' ¡''"'if hi",¡iku.'JJ

IIx,;",,L h<lp, '" "xwJ [lid;',WemoL'Y'(p_ 1·1), os ,,'clI

'1 p,iotiog of the """ L¡de" 1'1, 10),'heJ"<I" ",me«,', '" 11",ksting ,)I~m·;'t;o,,, reg"J:"g,,,d "demp",," by ROlh,w,ki,l',.h' V,.,Ú,'ff ,",J(S'''~g'''';C"dll"",,

11ding ro th, Lo/'"h¡Il",u,

w,,", "1,,,",I,,",d DI' 1>"Le! jr" ,,,,1, b"cu, He ""LIh~10,tcL'-b",LI,,,,,hcnhis, .i' ""el ,""n tu,]])' ,r,,,,,,, bISmOLI;".MR'f bet",,)'i,,!:he bCCúm" '","ce of the

"1""""' 01h~""",1"~"into '" '"PIS 01 ,I<"I"¡'""'l' himsctl.b,w, ,l.,JU"" "~""" 'H'1'"' ,11<[ Good fÚh)" "",.." 01r~"'L.'"Eh w,,,i,,t I(i',-,,", duo-" ,ho 0\";t,101,, ,oel I,,~i,Ju<l" "¡(uro arc mOl"iSWj[ üli',icl,,, ""hcr

stanJing "bout llgirlly amI IInpassi\'eIy, as ífin a '''ghtmare_ A fllUS1C j!8viliun LSmissingJltogclh"r, The principal figure 1', nOI ,m-pnSlngly, F"da hcrself OS 8 yutlng chile!, ,it-ring JII ,lione in lhe n1Jrket squ"re, lost Jn hcrnigh,maÓsh thollglm. The sctting or the

m"rkct s<juare wnsists mainIy or J Cüvcl'edmarket on the kfl, a bar nmned "L8.Ro,it",'""nd J bIue ho",l' Jn ,he b"ckgronnd, The bt.lcr has a slTúng re",embla~[e ro h-ida's birth

home, tht pre'em-J"y frid" K"hIo Mus~um.JI1 (i.\e more distant background, the domeal\d tuwer 01' ~. dJUrch ,.'c vl,ible. On lhe,¡id, Ka:,lo,1m,,!! ,\1exic,," horse, '- '?'S

Wab",lo, 0" pope" ,o,6" x 12.9' p,;·,'te calle";o,,";gIlt, the m8rkct sc¡uJr'e i, bordered by abuilding in f!ames_ HowcHr, none of the

biz"nc inbobitants seeln ro core ,1bout tbe fjre. O"Iy littJe rriJa anx10\!sly glll'~ he! (hin with One

h3nd ",hile covering hcr lal' with t-tIcorhe,'_ '1'1," gid 1" wr)' yOUl1g,roo young, In Üct, 10 wo"')' about,ueh SeriOll' morrer, ",' lite and de"th_

CongealcJ inro mctaphors, hu- thoughr, rl''1oJve ur0und ¡he od,"r ,(,ur figures Jn lhc iUJ'ge: ¡he

struw horscrmll,.Iudas, the skeIcwu, anJ che Pre-Hispanlc d"y tlgurc, Al if emetgi"g [mm mem-o¡-)',' rhe ,traVi hotscrnan mme, to " stJndstilI in rmnt of the burning hou.<c. \XI)"" a fitting imagel)11 \X'cstcrn ",t, equbtri1" sr,l.w~s ,raditio,,"Hy de¡)ict rulers; FÓcla's horsenun, however, is Jnytlungbu r r""jestic; he 1001<> ch""l) "nd ordi n~¡-l',beJng "0-",,1))' one of those Me,i""" IOl' figures made úf,Srtw,.: that 1l'e sold 1t nw-k"t' "S folk 11:t,fL"id~,lOo, had" toy h()ue,mn o[ tlns bnd al h()me, ha.v.

ing featured it alre"i)' tcn ye,w; caIier In (he w1terco)or Swd! MQ:li/111HorJ(_ Thcre, the hors''lnan,t"nds in frollr oi'" lacquerecl dísh f''elm O,,;-;aca, whose de.<ign i"dudes, nút coincidenl'"IJl', a biood-

red, perfecrJy rouIlll tlowcr, "11 Rosi¡-"," un a dark ground_ hi,L! the chUJ "'"" obyio",l)' quitefarniliar with rhis horser;lJn wbo h"d slleh pri'11itiH ['","ver OyCf he!'. \Who indeed was the toy in¡-hiswretched comtellation? The horscm11l 01' tlw chiJdi hid" m,1Ynot succeed in sh,king off rhe

memo1)', but she docs eros, hw.l otl her subjedi\'e 1'$1'of inI",bltant.\ which, ~(co,ding 10 ¡jlC paim-

ing's title, "Kludc" onJy fo"r p~ople, 1n FrieJa'" vcrsion, the commonIy strong horSemJll "Iso has 8srtiking weakoc". he 18 rn,,,Je (Jf'str.¡W ll1d positioned rrght in front or the bumiog house. Jn the"ory, it woulcl he e1,y to UUfll both the hOrSenl"n 'lnJ the ]ucbs figllJ'c,

The]\lcla", too, derives ttom MeXLC"r)poptlia" art, \Vi,h sticks oí dynamite tieel a!'O\lnd him, ¡he

cardhoaJ'd figure 1.< hung up "nel dcton:rted tn the "trecrs during firewo[b on fJstcr (ve. ]udJS iscO"'ldcr~cl tl,e ve"y cpítome úi' evilm man, not ooly bce,,"se of'his betra)',,1 ofJesus. His othamvoJvcnl~nts \'I1lh cal<lstrophc single hin, out as a depC"JVce!person as weIl, mircd in a \'icious spintlor dcstiny_ Acwrding ro popular Me:xican CllSrOnl, the very ptrsoni~cation o[ (vil is cherdo¡-e

pOlntedlv dbtfO)'ed prl'eeding ¡)le resurrectioo of .Ie~us on Ea,ter. Afrer bctnYlJ1gJesus, the bihl,-calJue!a" as \Ve. Itmember, h"L1ged hlnlsdi from ~ tree'" Accorclnlgly, dIe cardho~rd f.gure mat'kedout fot th~ fireworks both clenOles ]lld",'-' vOJuOt<>Iydeath and st~1ll1s f{,r the expulsion 01' evil,the chasing away 01' b,u:l memo,ie,. ln Mexico, Judas fJglll'CS are given the bec, o/ mr""pr

politici"HS or notorio,," crim"l>US; in this w~y, the pOPllhtioll rid, itself by prox)' of eJJ sorl, ofvilI"lJ1$.J0

''!:miJb,iilll, ifrida K,hlo, Tne 'N",moed Tab.'e, '940. Gil 00 (.,n',,,, 17.8'-" 96,,", \Nfle'c,ba"15 ""'Clown

The ,keleton, "' the tlud oi' the phnntom {Lgures, is Frid".'s stU({!y wmp"njon in her rdketions Ondeath. Clearly g¡ven pl'Oml1)enee, the bony st¡uctl\r~ js prcscntcd as" re"JiIy coL1ce¡vabIeaIternativeto Jire. Ql1i¡e relaxed, Dea¡h js s(anding ¡here, gnlccfulIy bcnJing One Ieg, aIbeit """idmg che VJe"\':-

er's gne. \\iha! is noticcabIc aholll the Pre-l-lisp"nic doy fJgure LS not only her position dnse roFrida, but .1.'0 the fact thot ,he "p'-egn~nr. He,. '.nCIC1H Or1gin gi"", thc d~ci>i\ichiut, jJüilLti[Jg lO,he "úld story: rh~r io, F""IJ's OW" sto,)', ",hiel.! ,he' W"' dctcnlllnl,d w kct'p siIem aboue ln dns3IOf)',he,. Icgs were (tllsbd alld IkI~ Vi"' the ",k 01 prl'gna!lcy. but what is m()r~, "he coulJ hoveevu) lost heT head. '['\le glucd·ou hcad of tite da)' Jigure, "ppe.nng disp1'Op()l'tion"tely smal!, marhave ["placee! thc origlUaI head. I'hc memo,)' Qi" childhood feurs seemS to <vell up so omjnously1O,icleFridrr. tlut onl), ,1linalreckoning wjell the past th,\! is, death, (J[ ,uiciJe, L open 10 her as awa)' oot, The pcrsonjlications of c"ch (Jf thbe two, the Judas ngme and ,he skeleton, are standinga!igned in the YCJ")' front 01" lhe pictori"1 pIaL1e-like the two .,cales of" halance_ Borh "Irc,rnative" nillwcigh the sume, nO OnC side outweighs the other Por the time bc,ng, the o"tcom~ is llms unde-cidd. \\ieigIunr one thing ag"iL1st another, "' t,,"dition;lllf' ,lSSOc;"cc<lwith the pnsoniJicat;on o{

Jll&tic~,~ll'e"d}'symbolr"cd in mcdicval alkgoric$ ami D"fO'IUCembIcms the "itting in juJgment owr,ouh, scparating the good ¡wm lhe c\iil. As d'.<tinct fmm Chrisrirrnrr),'s I.astJudgmcnt, however,hida'> is not a dcmioll OL1lik o[ Jeath, pa,ad"e Uf hell' in the enel, dcalh hes in w<lÍeanyw>ly.

In Ih, W"mdcd T:ibit, the personitied Cll"SITOph~s 01 Frida's ¡iJe g¡\!hcr iÓr " grote''lue la,t -'u['per.WÜh its widl'h 01 mOre tll<\n cight feet, lhe painting: aIJ110st J11atches ,he sc~lc 01' Rivem's murals_ r1

!'rija j11inted it a ye" after Ti)/' Jim T'mlo., fo,.. the hlimnJJ01!d f:)o)iUt/w Gf Suma!"'m, ",hich 1'01"$

organized in '940 by An,j,'é Br"ton and Wolfgang Pnlcn in Mc"ico, ami w~,$ubtitlcd "'fheApp"ri¡ion of che GL"eat Sph;nx ot' the Nighr." "f'he mOl1lHl1cnt<d.work wb,cqucntly IrJvckd Wil),

the show to l\Tew York ~nd cvcnl'\I~U)' "U the \Yay to China, vi" Bnlin Jnd \X1""aw, In '95'5, 'lllcelhcn, the Wh{'[Clboul> of the painting are uL1known The panlting's symbolic prowgolllst is, aslnJ,cated by ,he tille," table: "nd ,ndeed the qble hns been radicill)' transformcJ ill the im"ge tohave folH' human legs, the skin of whkh is ne<Jllf' clissectcJ ",¡tlJOllt 'pilljng "11Y bIood. The labIe-top of smoorh hardwood, OHche other InHd. is bleeJing b:om th,ee ",ifice, remmiscent of femaIe

gcnicalia.

" [,;, ,~",,;dli, ,h",1'';<1, w,,,,-,,1 to OJ>C'UPl~vw, S;O(O"leI";"""P be ,bv"""I,, ,b, ~'"''ex!,;hhi,"t, AE'Im·Wa;,'_"'uM,,,d .ól~'·i>.''¡'''lg~''J."mi;",iroJ,!,. '"$$mÚi, "'''" >4¡o;k,nd)· ,,,,,!lcr;" ",~je. [" "d<l;,;o", b, <e'"d,,,,,, m",,, 'ld eh)" jigu,,, homI,¡, P",-H¡,]!,,,,¡, ",,11""0" to tbc",nibi"o"

Sd"Ó:!c, ""1"""(14 Ka/o"" [t/J G'r_.'"rk.

,," "hin: V'cchg~'cu,1), 1)",

Tk mi,,'culous toble is pbccd on (he fIoorhü"rds Or" <coge. Fr:lrojng the ,celJC is a heavr vclvet

portiere ,,,¡iIItgolden wssels. The vicwer is led to !odiev" dm. he is wimcssLog a th~"tric8.l peL'form-"!lee, but what i, stagcd is 'l.Cl;Uallya snrrcalist piece d~"li"g v,,,(h 1',.,dÚ real biogmph).', fron1 thebottom of the pawtcd ,ccllery, monst'ous Ic8ves sp]'()ut in front of a doudy sky, Ln ",me C"sesL"everscd,lhQS sugg",,,ng ,. double meanUlg.l-lidden in the wal! ofle:lves " a ",bitc-ha,red oId 1]),.11

C.1Ctlbon whose phallic ,h"l'( a five-flngeL'eu le"fh~s Iwl its haml.lt is Il1ljJossibIe to deÓde whetbcl

(he f,gure" gathcrcd Jt tbe "bIe "re lI"dcrwking w perfoIIll (he ,wgc play on their own 01 whethertlley iust wanr 10 atte",! thc ghosdy "el. TI,~rMH1chnracters are old "c'lu:'¡ntanccs: Judas, hida in

he, Tchu"1lJ d,.ess, the P[c·I·Jisp~o'c da)' tlgmc, ,,,,el, of COHrse,thc skeleton.

The ,keIetün l\Js an 1111myto the pdvi~ bonc ver)' simihr to the one f¡,ida s",tai"cd In the b",

accielent. Cocluettishly, the g1'Jm reaper pulls Frida's !)Ji" sugge,tiog that, Got least b~GlUSC of ¡he

accident, he has" huId over hcr sex,,-,Iity ""J tbns over he" Thc l"re-Hi'panic Ügnre L"pitifullysh1'JveIed compnred 10 the onc she p"'"ted two yCJlS befme m Thr (',M' fr,hahitú¡¡t, 4 i\Jlxim. 00 th~orhe,- h"nel, it is "ow extmding from Frida', "rm, symbiotie,lIy 10illcd wah her. As ,H' old t,-aum>l.

it is jlrohab!y rcsponsibk ¡-orhidÚ irl;lhiJ¡,y to Jet, Judas, ,h L$[[[TIC, iljJpe"l'S "' the Gungarees of herhusb'Wld, Ri,'em, who !wd rewlr1y bccn gllilty 01 infideIity. Still, he puts Iois arn¡ 'lfouod hcr in "p~mmizlLlg ""d oucho Lnannu, 1S if coki"g posscssion of heL I-lowever, he m",t I",ve I·ecentl,. Iwl

hi¡ he"d re~LlCed, sirKc ~ head tbat is Úr too "m"Ji i, nOW perched On his blecding n"<ek.Ir nu" bethe head of ¡'mi" hersdf, Ji,afttJ ,\$ ,lO Jltern"tlvc, '" ir shc h"d waatcd to suggcM th"l, arrer ,he

UlY01,e, ,he w()"Id be "blc ro take ore 01'he,.self"

erija her,elf arguably nppears lwicl' in ,he ""age.!n thc Teh""na drcoss, ,he poses at the oble ", ",hdl of herseIf. Hu ph"sicol iotactnes> ""d the iJght gr~en "gho,¡" s!mk of rile "km i"elicate th",he io not [he real Frida, She is merdy" ,t"t,'<: ;lCln~%aHning to ple"se Rivml. Or ,he alt dientde. Thetme Fri,b. is ¡he tabIe, tbe eponymom hl'w of ,1", F:iLL1ling,Just ~ke at the. Gcsns .she \'la, hlmOU\

for, h'id" oHi:rs" ho.spitable tJbIc 1'0a colorfu! j])i, or gnesrs, Allhough she C"lll'O(' hirle rhe tabIe'stbree o';o(\nJ" nobody "edl y is aware of ber. The innüccHt mcm hn< of tbe househoId, tbe dc"r "mIthe two child,eo uf l'mb's ""e¡- CristiL1<l,Antonl() "m! ho!ch, have gatherccl ~r the tabic ""d, '"their n~j"eté, do not grasjJ "t"1I what is going 011 The dcer >Inrilsolda gilZf ~c ,he view~, jn bcwil-de,-ment, as i( uski~g ",by nolJody ;,s II,tu\ieL1ilJg in arde,. 10 ,c,olvc rhe situation.

Lying 011¡he noor "" klter. Blll wh" ",rotc it' \Xihat couIJ ;t be ahollt! Docs ir OL1I)',ervC to o,·,.yFrida's sigml.(\Jre' 0,- dOb it cont~Ln the "n"ounccment of he, immioent ckath, since that" ",hatthe re,cmbhncc with JL11age$oC the Last SupjJcr m;ght ""I'Iy? 'Ibis L~st Supl'([, however, Iacks tbeusual elemcnt$: the c~hle " nol aH "l,ar covered ",irh ",hite dotb, ~.nclneither brt",d nor WlL1e arC

jJr€SOHon the tablt. 1'hc n"ked tabIetoµ show~ ics wouuds,

The ,hree COulSCSof chis Jetha! lite menu, the eJ[Iy chjldho"d trduron, the ,treetur Kcirlellt, "mi thc

biled maruage to Diego, "re reprc,e'1I'ed ambiguouslv: io the !abk wounds and tbrough the tigurC"siuing at the table. Betow the ""e Ill"S'luemdLl1g 'lOa leh\luI1J, tIw rc"l Frid~ reve'IIs bef¡el( out·warJI y tnmed LllIoa h1rd, supposedIy insCllsl(IVC~:ooden panel, but on the insidc quietIy bleeding

to death. Accordingly, lhe physiul COllsequeL1c<cooí FcidÚ aecident "lone do no! c"phin paintingssud) a..< Th, Wowllied'f"Ne 0'- Th" FOllr!N!1tÚil2sir ofAwdw. The lapses in het' chronologiol memoryJml che falsificatioll of hcr buth u"te, the tktionaI d'"GI(lcr of he,- swrics, and the V"riOllSshard, "fmemo!)' appeanng in her p"inrings,;c" wcJJ "S the real te"" ,"nply shed in depres\ion ""d, time :ind

agam, Frida's wking relllge in illnes", trying to tie the notoriously un foithli,'¡ Diego to hersdf-J 11this

bea" eIoquCllt wirncss ro"" e,,,'ly childbood trJuffiatization. 11le "SSllmptiol1 that rnda Kahlo, 'lO

J child, suffercd physical vioIMion" wh leh sevc1"eIyco!llpromi,ed her integrit)', Il1'Y, 011th~ one hand,wuch on a ¡aboo even psycho""aIyots to ¡his day a"e reluctonr to di,cus, openly; 011 ¡he other hand,

however, it docs provide " CO'l\'111cing,-"de fO[ the symbolic l"ng>'>1gcof her wmi<,

The Masks¡',.bsks are iJeal for hiding, rOl' prottuing oneself from other peoplc.', gazcs. 1'01' Frida, who livcd

her (}wn Iiic"s 8. masquerade, rhe)' were, lime ami ag"in," pe,.fcct 11lSmHnCL1tfor "ssuming 9. dit~fercn¡ pel'son"lity. In Mcxico, masks are eX"'aordmariIy popu],r, ami it \Vas preÓsely in FridÚ time,in the contelCr al the Mexican Rem;ssallce, tbat the pal'liCllbr si"mbolic powc,s 01' his[ol'1c~1maskswere heing rediscm'ered. In he, paintillg, clislurbing masks seL've I',ida to ,kiIIfully disguisc the ¡;'ct,hat it was nO! the obvlOus th"t preocmpied ¡'~r, bu t ",tbet oomerhing Il1exl,re"ibk. 'r;,ke, lór exam-

pie, rhe tw" sm"IhcaIc p~ilHing5 Gid ,uth !Jet/lh ¡\1tisk 1 anJ 11 ¡ro,,, 1938 lt Inrdli' ev~r h"pp~ncdthat Frida took \lj1 an .Imost idcntiud suhjc("t (\Vice, Obvlollsly, [he SUbjlct ",as vny imponant to

heL In boch vcrsion;;, "girl i~ standL~g"JI aIon~ i" tbc high v".lley of MelCico in front of" storm)',k)', weanng thc "M'\sCJra a Diez" commoll aCb,ter, thc (cs(ival of rhe ReSlLrrection, !'or onl)' n fe\'!pesos, ti"" p"pin-mflché Jl1Jsk wa, ~vnllabIc in " ""de varidy of colorfÚI designs, provJoing chiIdrcn",itb an Inexpcnsive costume, IX'ith the hc"ds of' monkey', king', or birds, they usually !'efer,.eJ 10

flln themes, but J'ricl~ symp,omatically tmm to lhe drcary cab,TE':\, or skull, motif,

lhc urst VeL'SlOn,hows "sccond m;lsk of" differel1r kind II'1llg Ol! tk g'-O\lncl nelC! ro the gir!. "tigcr, COJlsidered rhe mo,t majcslic anim~1 o( all of Central Amenca "mi ",,'crcd "5 [he el'ilome of

courage anJ wrnb1tivc forcc_ The ,o-called ['Iower \VaL"s,,ulllcd ~t

C"Jpturingrhe human ,,([ificiaI subjccrs whose he"L'tswere oifered

to tbe sun god, were deJicated to il, bu) toda)', thc rige!' '11>.skfe.tUfos in ~ frequclltly pert'>rmcd M~.xic'" d,,,,C~, ser\''''g "S >1tel11,nder that the [lrcd3tor used [O be hllmed ami kilkd to pro-

lcct clol11esticanJmok

In Frid. K"hIo'5 p<lint;ng, I'hcg,rI wirh the mosk aet" out rhe iclen-tiflution with Death. The tigcr mask Iying 011 the grouml ,"ggcstSthat a sJ(I'i~(e has t"ken place. Morco,-cr, as ~n ~tcribute, the chilel

holdo a tageles nowcr 1n he .. hanJ, which, in J.\Jcyico, 's ¡he pre-fcrred flower to bring to thc gravcs of the dead_ The whok "tIllOS'

pherc of ¡he JJnage l' ,esonaot with mOllrn ing "nd feel111~sof guilt.Through ¡]w verr "Máscara a Diez," Fridn rcvcals her fcclings

ahout ha owo unlived ,1nd sacrificnl cbiIJhood, On the orheL'hand, ir is k~own that Dicgo RiwJ'J, who wa> F,ida's pcr,o"aI sul\

goJ aS it \Vere, did Ilot WJL1tto haY~ chilclrcn, Frida "Iso kncw thatbe haJ abandoncd his !i,'st wife m Paris with ~ striouslv ill dÚld\lmil it, J""tl,. 'lo &p~,e hCJ'sdf a similar fate, and Ilüt ncccss~r;lybC01\lSeofher own lln$tablc hcalth, rrida Kahlü had sevc,al "bor-

liorrs. Tbc lirerotLlre "ssumes ,he had duce ro four ~borriün.s andone mi,carriJge. Likc so rnnny women after a~ abortiol1, fri,,,,, too,was probobly hount~d hy fcdings of g~il( )'eaJ',' later. Through the

friJ, K.hlo, Cid 'Niti> Deot!> ,\oIask !II,1938Oil 00 meto'- 7,8" x ).8" ,,;,,,t< colleclion, C,lilomi.

"Iw p,iLltiog, G'id'1",01,', h;", ebd)"I,~dr, '" ,,,",,,",,1bi',winr,",hiod Lh,h ~ t)'pj,,1 of ¡K''O~"';,,. :;1", W,,",,' ,1,,,,, "le",," wid,,,,¡'o", ,how;"o' "":I¡' ,,,,,-'UC" d,il<l[;,,,,dk,,,,llLet jn b

lin¡¡ l'",,!;;' "" b""d" !",ii", ,Yr !h,i'li':'b."," «1, Ellgclklt

(hciburgJH"d,1), ''';-7')

tiger m"sk ly,ng at h.er Ceer, rhe girI witb tbe de'th m""k cIeady lesrities ro ~n Jet oCSJ.Crif,CC,rcb·nng eithet to fridÚ Own sacrificed childhood Of to the ,clinquishmu.t of childrcn in hu rel,tiuo-sh,p with Ri"em.ln ht[ seemll1gIy &"tasric ln"'g"s, KJhlo sublirrwtcd her "nxL~tic, and feeliLlgs ofguilt,lJ

The Monkey'11", mo"kcy ba, aIways bccn [he mosr jJopulnr animal symbol in \\'estem lIt, being perfectlysuited, htCilU;¡Cuf il> rc.s~mbbnce to I-fomo mpims, to hold up JO ,Jlqoric"1 minor tc) mon_L-lrOl'hiel", too, ti," mooke;' ",as mo,.e tiMOjust ~n ardinar)' domeslic a11LmaLlt vmuld he a mlsunder-

,tanding to thwk Eh", fhe iocorpontcd dog" monkey', and cMI Lnher p~¡nril\gs bc(~usc (he)' wererunning ~round Ii-cdy in her home_ As a pJ1nrcl', fl'ld" K"blo \'las not wnlernl'd with mWlCtic11-Ir reprtsentiL1g externol reaiLtr, but r8.lher with rdlccting hu l110er re,¡jity. Dogs, monkeys, "",1

catS~d' weIl "' roots and ribbons-rni",-orvl j)WIlt,,) 'tatc" unbodying her tboughr,. Alrhough FridaK.ahIo tended to conceal her dcepn fcdill&, ami thollght, as ifbehind a tdl w"lI, sorne ofher 11lOre

cryptic palntings QJ.I1be d~cijJhcrcd lO" ccrt'lLL1deg",e by r"king rnto C'onsidetJtion rhe embkmal-ic m,dition.

Embiems are pictori~l Óg<lS ,,·-hOSf meaniL1g, partiolIy defined "' Ll1~mlJls,goces heyond \'Ib,,¡- is"nullly represenccd, instc:K1 poi~ting to, mOfe ~bst""cr leveL 'l'hc ~mbb,,"IK \t"dition cvolved inche L\tc MiddIe Ages fmm o wealth of nwrirs r"m,),~r from, ,")lo[Jg other thillg', herboIluJIl' ami

bestial"Le,_111Ren~iss~ncc ~nd Baroqlle p,,¡nting, embIcms aLo "ppear "" allegones ",bose absU<lCtmc,nings 1"(,v(O"1thc""dH's thro"gh ;magery_ Frequently, the nleJning was furtbc[ cbrificd by af1uing, lIs,,,,lIy btin, '''ylng. I'edwp" one of che mos¡ fnmiljJr embkmatic imilEcs cvcn today is (hememento Ulure 'ymbols, such as ,he skull, th.e mirrar, thc b\lrllt·down QJndIe, th"t Serve 'LOar~mimler oí dcath bell1g omnipresent jnlik, Sincc he, aItistil begiL1niog" rrida had ,rud,ed in detail

the an of thc RcnaissJtlce arrd, beyond thot, grear1r adm ,red Finl'" n,.", Lghcl ,nd Hicconymus Bosch,tfue master, C)f rhe ~rr 01 "",hkm'I"1C encodi"g, Sbc h"Thdf im·u[jJo,,,tcd onl)' " feow ,dcctcJemblems in her w(,,'ks

As rar as lbe s)'Olbol of thc I1lonkl'y is concemed, linda 'peci!ically depicts che spider monkey (AI;ksg'ffY;]i). a "peue, mOjt prn'llent in Cenu"lll America. Diego Rivw, oWllcd onc such spccimcn,

namen Fulang Challg_ Ütcr, l'rid~ hrought Jn additionaI f~m"le monkey L~to lhe hou,ehoId, but lOhe,. regfet (he couple was rc!uclant to rqnoJuce, The mmt saIient featme of the spider montey i"j(S tJiL whjch-Jt "pl'wximatdy three feet LOlellgth ,ervc.< ?~sa preheosile orgao-JS con.<idered a¡iith Iimb. Cmiously emmgb, with spide,. monkeys rh~ nllmber áfem"le ofTspring tencls to be triple

that or rhe male offslmng, " rKt tll8t co.nbe [dattd to hi,b K,hlo's f"miIy, ,i!lec () "iIlen!lo KabIo,too, exclusivdy lathcrcd girk lL1terms of its general 'ymbolism, the montey ¡igure., ,n the visual",ts 'osa l'croo!lifi,alion oí the devil, eveL1mo"e frequen ely emhon)'lng, as J b~(l"'O"S Jlllmal, rhlngssex"al or nCH th~ quimessemial sed"cer. "Represen mtions of monteys sqUJtti ng. tied up or chainedup [efer to moo mued in SLn"'l The J1lo11kevalteJdy served as thc epitome of ¡lo itseJf in medieval

represcntations 01'paradisc, whi~h ,how it in the Tree of Knowledge, reaching fDI the apple i" ordeJto offer it to .Ev~.

Accord;ng to emblenHtic wnvention, howevcr, the monkey Jlso SerVC, 10 "'mn against lhe d,mgerof' roo m\leh love (GcrH1~nJCCll~Ily has a tcnn for it, i\[0;/¡,b" which litnaIly me"", ;'monkey Iove").

¡'¡cnkd·SchoIlc's da,sic handbook of emblems speci¡iCllly rew"nts a srory denvl ~g from bes¡iaÓes,

in which the [llo,her monkey or, rno,t orten che fJthCI mOn". .kcj', by GlrrylllXtbe belov~d o{fsprillg "nJel' hlln, squeczcs it (O

d"ath, where.s rhe 1Dollkey ,ibIillg le" bdovecl, which ¡, fmeedro despcmldy hold OH 10 the p"rerlt's bnck, SllrVLVe3_On cxccso·ive p",clltal Iove, the handbook rcads:

"'RO"'.C~'"'"""'F'¡;"

."

~rhc monkey el1llJrM:csib yOllllg in SHch a p"ssionatemlnner tll8.l it kili> them in ¡es ernbrace. Some fOtherslo\'c the;" ofkpring so nl1dly that theLr ~ffec¡jon lcu:.Lto gre1t SUffC""lg,Bccause he loves thel1l too inteo,e-Iy a~d too foolis1>ly,he ,ilcnth: tolerMe, thdr imperti-nence_ i\nd onu; they are p~st childhooJ and havegroom up, they are in(,olrigible." And it col)(io\lcs:'The father's fbttering lO\i~ __spods rhe children," or

"Blil)d love of the ehild_ Ofren, CvCJl 10H' l' b"rmflllWi¡]) hjs affcchon, lhe monkcy ,uffoutc, 1l> youngFathers. neH[ Iet this happcn''''(

""",,J"","~'""",,,,,,¡¡/"" /f."." w,J.m "~I'<X""' ,," .. ~, '.""", ,ir, r,," ~I;,j'1"'"''' ,,~,"m",&<""", ;.1", "'""',,," ;,,,/,,"' "" ..1"""""" ¡,¡.,"'"" lo,.,,,r"/f 'ff',~',..dom " .. ,_=",d!",,,f"'''' p'"'''''' "TI"" monkcy 110.1lave> ¡¡;)'''"8 loo

ml,ch", ,molem ;'rom, C!ollde P"odio,H"fO';W l/mbola, Anl'."/err 'lEo)

hida Klhlo fl'eCjllCn¡ly,bol", lhc monkey wirh its mm aImost tendedy lIIouml ¡'~r Of perched on

her ShOllldcrs,"" ir reprc'cnting a me<1lory.ln books 011 alchemy Oll~ CH! tlnd tbe image ofn womanholding ~ monkey on " chal11' "Mirror of "Ilmtme ""e1 s¡,mbol of art,"\7 The WOman hc¡-e rcpre"sents n~turc, ]si>, whu, in tUl'll, is hdd 00 a ehall' by "god hielden III the douds, He colltrob the

mmúc bws "f namre_ Thc monkey, on the orhcr h""d, ~IIlb"dles art; nnd thc ch:un tbe womall "hol<bng represems !he intelIecruaI "nel 8 r:tlstic "biliti~s w¡eh which illJ!! seeb to Jmit~tc ~nd unproVC'00 naturc, .llltbough this allego[')' /1", !xcn mere"singly linkcd to l'rida', work 11,"xe'lllitn"tur~,'"onc clocs not have to subsc ..¡be te> th" mt~rp[e'"tion_ In spite ofber magJGlI powcrs, hid" do~, no,sccm to he abIe to le"d the monkey On lhe leash Hl hcr p:Unting,.lLls,eacl, ,hc js cwght in lht Snares

the mOllkey hys out aro\lnd hcr"s ii in play. Only Picas", h" featlJ1"cdrnonkcys in his pal1ltings nsofren as feída, and [or I\1m, too, (he monkey seI'ved ~s a 1<l5civiollSsymbol of sexllality ~Jl(l licen-tiousntss, as Adelheid Heirn8nn has pümted our In ~ comprcIwmive es","y Accorelingly, in Pica,so's\Vork,lhe palJ1ter seducrivdy approaches the ver)' WOmaIl who ha, just turned him down, but who

nOwpbyfully O$&ocÜteswith th~ mooke)'-'9 This was "roL>ndthe ye""c936, whcli th~ m"tme l'iGlssOhad juse been !tft hy his much youngc' lover, f'"""oise Gilol-

Bla~kMagic

[rida bmJ'Owed scvcnll J1lystenous atcr¡butes from the imager}' ot' voodoo "mi ",,,gil. the bird os U

'ymbol of Venus (Se(f-Pw;mil u'ilh Thom .1I,h;k!(/(I m¡j I-hmm"'gbm!, '940, pI. 21), black nets, knottingstflng&cnh~nccd hy maxie 'pdls,20 ~lld needIe-plerced elolls_Her kIlowIedgeable use oí charms a,,vdI", pmsonous and nlDgic planto in her pa,ntings sllgg~,Q; a certo'n expenisc in \vitchcL"artandso,ce,'Y-Tlus olso incl\ldcs hida'" preference rOI mirror.< ",hieb did not jllst ,crye a practical fune-lion by ollowing her 10 p"im her OW11portnÚt in her ,ickbed_ She is s~jd to llave once pre,enrcd ~

óelf-pol'trail' togclher with all iden"üllJ' [ramul mirror fo,. che ney,. Owner of the painting" to belbk to look lt herseIf side by side with hida'", likeness. Thc mi,wred retlection M1SoHI)' OnC of,everaI techn'ques oC magic Frida llSeU in het desirc to imapna,.ily rie ¡¡eople to hn.sdf. Allother

one l' Jnelimted by thc red stnng:; in hcr pmntings, wIuch, ~cco,ding to " love ,pe]], serve to,,,iofol'ce ¡he inncI alt"dlment to a person, In "dditjo~, motirs tahn frorn 1lchemy fUI) through ~U

"A''''p, Ii,i ..~,;ft\ quo"o iLl·','Ohut'I-leokd "ao AII",,,I,,3d,!,>"" ¡""ti",.:,¡,,: fleI!.')"'dJ "h,,<;i,,,,likl,,mlld" XVI, !/'i,J xnl.};Ú,",,,,'k';J (S"'''i!"''; 1.(,,,Ior,1976),42~

", gol"," 1'1",,<1, (1"'",'1'" v,1";i,'ii!,'",;" (Ow",I",m, ",¡),'IUQ'cJ br fJex,ndCL'Roob;o'jJx i'!¡mÚ M,,,,','m, ,\IdJ",,)' &

,\j,_éi¡,~ ((<llng"e, '1",1'0]),lW¡), \O',

~ Sh,,,i'" H"hlf,," U,ÜII, Cm;O'&';'r, [(,4,1" Pi,,,o' 'in,'i, O,,,"(~\w¡'¡",',,"' Y,lc (Jo"'",,,,!1'"",", ",~,), j,', Ikf",iog ro ,h~iI"'g", Ud,lI ""1'1"",,, ,lo, ¡¡nkOce,'cm frid, ano U" """p"",ng tk ",o,'k 'l'"it¡"Ur "'LI>",',J" i'cU''';''g Akff4')' irom [9)7.

SI" ""tes ,ha<,J;kcb~, ]'';,1,h"""" r,,", "" ti" '''~, ,,,a ,h,oehe<in eh, "'m, ,,<1 l';\i"" ou,,k ('OO"O"¡ooofho[h or ,he",to th" Mooo, SIlo romp'"''h'J,·., ,,," ",ieh ,hu" olbsgrÓiog lo< he, lo" bco,b" ""O"'"'T :¡<,,,' tlood;og ,he ti",,' Ni',

"i AdeliloiJ Hdm,;m, "Pi,,"," und"" /\flc," ¡" r..h,+~h 1"S~'dl",",'"K,,"',<!m,wl,,'0" i< [úrl,idfllm,m-

'OX (r0~)'"0-4'..'" lo ""gio, loo," t;ed '" ,'"io",I]'

mi""" ,,,iog' Km 'o prodo","U ki"J, ",-c1f,,~,impotc"oc,,]'ilole""c,,, ¡II"=, '¡¡le 1''''''''<of kr","i"g 5[[i"9 "'os co,,,iJ-",,1, <,",m;",1ufh" ,no m'"I'~,itch" "',,ce ""mt D" ,,,,,hd""~,,,

" lb" I'";"t¡,,~;n~""tion~'a5

li,lal.'!;-(f;.<"C ai¡J J, f,(I," '9)¡,",hich ['"d, g"'" [O h" hao,\h,y SU" fu, ,lo, 10",,;0 be,blo (O ,Iwar.\ be "de by ,idewi,h 1'(¡J" H'l'J", He",,,,,, Fm.','Iúhi" 'ib" !k;,"i,~s (N,~' York'H"rc"",II¡n" 1\')1),1)'

pI. '9

"f I'rida K"hIo', work. Akbemy l" tbe mediev,J slienee of joining OpPOS;(CSin ~" o[[empt [(),omoll!; otheL",hing', create pure goId, TlllS e,oteril dOltrirw \VaSshroudcd in lhe myscer)' of thiogsHldesnibble and LnexpressLble_ Some aIchemi.<ric ,'ymboIs haJ 1 speciaL pCfsOQJl meaning forFridJ' hcr fa\'orite piecc of jewd[y ",as " ri "g disph\ying not J gem, bll¡ I1Hhfr [he olchemi,t,c ,'ymboI

ofthe sun and gold, a c"de surroumling J dot, ThLS 'ymboI i, "Lo usd in ¡mlian an ro rcpl'~sel1t¡he U1lLOOof [he male "mI the fcm"le' the liL1gamwLthm thc }'onL. In this C0nkx\ ,Lisobclol\g thetwo t","~gles encOlllHered in Fri,j,,'s im"gery. POJ11tingu)'w1rd or down\',"rd, thq represcnt oppo-sitcs: water Jnd file; rhe upper nnd ,he lower_ Jo olchemy, these OppOSl(~Sale loincel to cr~at~ the

ul1changiL1geternaI, tbe t"lVO t"Jngks forrning a star Jnd the cirdc wil'h tbe dot becoml11g a ring_Fr¡~aused e~~h of [hese symf-,Qls "' a h~llmo,-k Lnnumero", drawmgs as wdI as in thc p~gcs ofherdiul'}'-One s¡,mbol tre'luenrly fe~tUl'ed 1.\ tOL'ex"mple, ,hat of a cirde split iL1totwo halvcs by J I¡oe~ltc\'l1J(cI}'ver¡ical Q!'110ri"0,,,"I, Whl('h, >;lgnlfY"l!;the mLxll1gof nitnum Jnd aIblinc salt, is mc~ntto [,,µr~,e!lt tIle mcrging of mirld ;",d body, O" rhe O('hcl' h~nd, ~lchemistic 'ymbols ",eh a, thet,ÍJngle or ,he urde ",ere uf sUlh unlve,,"1 jmFo[t"nc~ amI featurcd in suC'il c!;vcrse cul(\ll'JI spheres

8Jld myrhs th>1I,;t;s hJrd ro SJy 'i',;¡¡h~ena"H:y rhe lioe, "long whllh Frilla umlc"woel ""eh Orle of

them.

DogsIn addi¡ion to monkeys, Frid~ aIso Iiked lo identil)' [he elog os one of he, bithfÚI companions Jnclguard",,,, in hCI 1_"";" lings. J"dging (rOI11phOl'ogr,Jphs oC he]' 110me, 111he,. Imvate t¡fe, toO, ,he tookw lhc vir(u"U.ybald br~nl uf tl,~ Xoloi t¿cui n¡[i In p,.c-}-j ISP".rl1C Mex,CfI, rhe XoloitzCllJnt!i \'la, theooly Jume'tic aJ1jITlaIof the lmli"ns, bu t tlii, did 1l0t '"Ve itiro])) berng rh"ir r~vorile nmfjcJaI ani-

rn..qlwell into the nioeteemh ~entury_ Aiier il> ¡'~an \""' rippcd out \0 ,~,y~JS,1noffcl'Ing, even themel! of thc dog 'vas consu11led.lopl to hin) even be}'Qnd ie; ~acr,j¡(ÚI dea,h, this [rimel of mall iscommemoL"llea by ['¡-ida in St!(-For:!dil u/i:h irzmimti (I93~, pL u), ,1Swell as i" the mlleh !ater Sil/P,;,traitwith il-!(!'1klJ (1945, pI. 35), In Pre-l-1i'panic m)'tholSgy, the dog nppenrecl aS XolotL the ¡,'odof tWJns, of duali,m, of ll1OL1sters"mI ,he disfigured, 'rhe "nci~nt symbouc funcr;on of the dog as aguide into ¡he hcteÚier" de"rly hngers in FridÚ paintil1g.< as ",dI.

(010r5

l'ridJ Kahlo was al.<o"lway' C1L'erlllto eho.<e the [olor" of costllIUCS "nd "ore ;lccc.ssQ1"ics~~corcll1lg(O I'heir symbolic valne_ A, suhjeetive as heL'lL1terpreu¡jon oí color.< ,va" Jt is cosclll'ial íor (hc under-

st"lllling oE UlJll)' im>lgcs to l'efÚ ro che color sysrem set down Ll1 be!' Jiary

Green-good werm IightMagcn¡a-A"t~c- old TLAPATI. hlood of l)l'jckly peor, tbe brighte,t and oldcst,(Brown) color of "'~¡..',of IeJves hecom111!; eH1"th_(YdIo\',¡) nmlllCSS, sicknc.ss, íca.r, Patl' of ¡he S\l n ~nd of' h"ppiness_

(B!ne) Electricit), and pmity, Iüve_(Bb.ck) no¡hing;5 bL~(k-reJlly Ilotbm/;'_

(Lcafgrccn) leavcs, sJclncss, science,th, ""hol, ~rGerma¡¡J iJ thu it,h"(light ydlow-gr~cn) more madlless and mystefj' Al! dle gllQ,ts WeJf dotlws ofti", coIo[, or at Ieast thei[ umkrdothes.

(Grcen-hlne) mIor of bd ,,,lvertisement, and of good bmine,s.(flluc) (li's/(I11(i_ 'Icnclcmess can Jlso he th,;; blue(Red) fllood? WcU, ",ho k,IOWS!'J

11)c Tehu"~a dress ,he aImost inv~riabIy f'Jinted, as mmtionea emIicr, combines 'l.l'gh, grecll ski]'t\vith ~ (h,.k red top, In it, VLtalCOlltt,1stto ,he light gre~n gbosr color, the deep rnl rcfe,.s to tLlp~¡¡,the mythid color of the bloüd of (be prickIy pear. [n Altee, ¡it.;/¡t¡/¡ abo ,dero lO "color";11 geL1wu,,ioce, aS lcgend has it,;t w" cre"kd whel1 the gods w,ntcd to q"e a cactus field to, ¡¡HU) ~nd thei,blooJ stllck lO the spikcs, The bIoocl'rcd [mit of thc ptickly pe", w,,~[()rem;nd man fo[cver 01 tbe

gods' sacritlce, 1]] this sense, friclJ's "bloody" inWl'loret"tion oi'retl" Ullirely Llllinc wLth ALte( tn-dition, She dad p""ion J"¿¡ de,irc, b\l' al,,, atroÓtics. in thes color COIHOllonly rep[(scut;l1g love,red, LLlhidÚ work, tbus symboIizcs:, ,nrher vlOk,,\ love dem"nd;ng bloüdy qcrifLce, ¡\;re love, OH

rhe other hand, L,,,according to her own \totCITlcnt, sugge'ted by bltlc. by purc love Fridn KahloullcloubteJly meam tilc. scnrLrnenr.aI aspc("l oflov~, faithfully holding on tu a remote ideal, similar10 thc Rornolltics' dreJm of tl,e blue Rower. Green, io (U[11, is like "good warm light"-Jt least, th>lt

;& Olle of its "speLl'. She also r~1t1, into green J dismal meamllg, uS1ng it to describe tI,~"wh"Ie ofGerm11ly," Apart fmm tbe faet ¡ha G~rrnJny ha, ,'"se scretchcs ot IÓI'est, tne s~cl Jnd scimt;lic color

q\lalicy invokcd 111mnL1cction witil Icaf gJx.cl1 " oOt rcad;ly ,ccl's,iblc. "Pe,.h"rs grccn serve, to Jrticu-Ialc FridÚ occas;on;¡1 weadncss of life, wllid, is oLo exp,essed lJ1 th~ inrerpretJtion of grccu-bl\le's the "colo]' ofbld 'Klveni,emtnts "ud olgooci bUS1l1eSS,"l-lowev~, unwnvent.ionJI FÓ,¡"', colorsrole may be, ,( derive; from he, ';er)' O\V1lpercepliollS, ~.Ild he, use of' th~ coloro is acco[d;nglj' ve!}

,clr-"-'sured.

Wings and AirplanesA ",,,tif recul'l'lng thL"Oughout hida K" h lo'" oeuvrC are wm,¡p; 'IIJd ~ll'plalles, le)$ likdy th,,-, ,he ",.-asfamiliaL'with the ""rliest and only mydl of" f"male dUrK¡er grOWlllg wings, th( story oí lil;¡-I, I'mm

(heJewish m'{tb of cl'e~tion. Lih¡h "L1elAdarn ",ere [he ficst hom,,,, coll[Jk God crcated. \\·'hen !Vhmwantcd til"h to ,,,hlect he"elf to h,m 'l'x,,"llv, l.dith rd"sed "mi c,llcd \JI,on God for help. He¡;ave htr wings su ,he (:<)llldt1y away, Onl~ the" <1,,1 God create he, WllO willingly g.we hersdfto

,\,bm 1nd bore l)l1n drikll\'1).

Alre,dy in he,- ,econd Si'f-Hrir(!1! '-'-'IimerÚa" (fig. p. 2._¡),hicJ". K~hIo "ddresses the. prohlem of theL'ebdliollSgirl reIuctallt ro submd;n<l[c herseIf, hav1Ilg high·llying IcI~a, "nd wonting to get aw"y./\smolI modd aLLrIa~"soaÓng aboyC ber head citad), suggcs¡' the rhought oí e~cap". lit rhe ,arilC

time, howewr, fr;cJJ's titl~ indicJtes that in rc"lity lhc,c;s 110esupc, SLore onI/ rime !, "bk tOgo

by Aying. Al'oum11938, rhe mytb ofl.iEth "P~'IJ:c~tly OL1cemore preoct"ujJ1cd I'ri,b.ln Thi)' A,J:d/ÚP!a""di!'/ Only G,I Sin/l.' Wálf"· (flg, p. 0.1). ,he P01'(['''YSbecscl( os a little gLd in " 'ldmam dr(;ss. .w~n(lL1gto C5cope [¡Ithe,. lhan submi¡ herselt. ln oder ({) be Jble w fly ,"W"Y, ,ht ;,n,1gLL1"San

";rpl~,,e, but from the hc.)vens Gocl only sends her" pB;r of u,dess Slraw wmgs, [n acldition, blooJ-reJ wlo1'ecl ties nailed down to lhc eartil bold her back;n the bar" higbland, "fMexLco.

i\nothe, failccl escape attcmpt!' depictcd by !'rid~ :trouL1l1liJe $<l1Hetime in The I'!rmt Cra(h (fig,p, 2,j). A ,~cmingl)' lllllL1Volvd doctor Sl,,-,,eI,LL1lbc mjdst 01 ¡he ,c~ne of dcstr\lC(lon al the ,ite of

a pbne craslr, 100kLng al ten corjJses Iyillg Ji'Ound him, le Loharel lO ,dI wh"t w,.casm 1!l<1)'havcmoti\'atccl FridJ to pa,,,r ,bis ,cene III sneh dd,,;I, rhe eartb es streWL1wÜb corp,es >\nd hody ~"ns,bhod, a~d scvel'ed limbo. Ana in between, the doctor remato> indriYerml, ",,~ble evell 1'0go near

". v1ctim. \\-'ith (his image, frid~ probabl)' ~llowed hcrsclr"n iron;c commen""y on (he hdpIe5&ne"of doctor, 111dcali"g with hec illne,,,: primJrlly, howcvc", Th,..1'!t1Ji( Cm.rb J.S " p~",bIe "bO\lr her

attempl' ro fly having ¡i1)~llyfailed.

fri", Ka~lo.Th,y A<ffe, Pla,1" oM on,y ColStmv.' ~'1¡'"9";9,8. W""e.but' ur"no','",

Frie" K,hh lile r'I~,," (,a,l' el fh,>S<I.'l'';VO',e 19,8'Nl1e;e,';o.", l'nkncwo

lLlL.'Ie-halIiarfa (F¡ghl ,'IÜ,¡,,) (}1 (;¡,.(fi'''' 'lil",a"in (1912l, I'rida pmtray' a yO\lng 11ldÜn girl "ban-doned in me oniddle of' d1e de.<ert, Wilh ollly the Su" Jncl ¡he Il100f1 in the sky bchind her, holdinga moJd ~itpbne in her h"n,k The twü ¡i.dI hcave\lly bodi~" luve l'yramiJs "ssigned lO ¡hem,m.kJng the girI appcar lO be caugbt uF 111 " cosmlC, trallSc~",kntnl ¡1'I~ngIe.The title admonjshesthcgirl ro ~ghl, to trI' ro sneak "\Va)' lroffi ¡he often barren re"liey by lt,i[Jg he .. rmogrl1ation, DiegoRivera l'xpbilJccl this in "n e",.1}' OL1 l'rida,

The Iitdc girl ,ilring in (he centeL' of the world i$ holding J toy plane tllat goes;Jj'¡he ,"me 'pccJ, nluch [,stcr tlun Irghtmng, like im8f:ination-reu.son, wIucb rCl""ognizes stal'S "nel eme, befare r(':rching thcm by cde.,cope am! Iocolllolives. Thal'peed resides in Frida "

As J chilJ, l'm!a had be"n <lhJeto cVJde threatemng re"jity only by ~SCl.I"ng ¡hrough the fictlon,l.l"ó" in "Pimón," che name oí the ,bi,}' store, ~ttbe speed oí ligbt. In other ".-ords, ,he d,,! not gw\\'littl~ Lilith wings, Now, Frieb W,11m the gnI tD figbt: "luchar" )0 memor! oí LiIith, ,be j)l'Ovirles thelnd,"" girl with the model of 8.\1~.il'plane. hiel.' Kahlo kcpt rc.turnjllg lO he, grel1 drcam ofílying8.nd che rm0gt""ry WlJ1g' th.t eventuall), pl'Ove m be LL1ade'luatc,~sevidenced by t\'/o [,,¡no\lsdmwings in che latel' pJH of lwr dimy, m! ir/X)! Jo [¡¡¿cJ !bl'm jor! 1/1 iJaw·wiilgs /o/ly, and ."")'VII k:1I","Ig?No./ BROKEN lf1NGS." »;rhile th~ tirs( di~,y skcrch ha., he,- Ionging lo! wings, beuu,e herfee¡ have become usdcss, the second one ,hu"" hec LL[jableto eSClpe ~ bUf11ing bush hccause he'wiogs ~..e bl'Oken.

¡uo«d;D',"o, !'''.h Klbio,cll.1COI), 2;"I~i,

Atrocities and Horror Stor;"s-Bosch Jnd BreughelT/x PiaN' Cm.rb, however, !lN only bespc,1ks FndÚ fmstl'ated dcs;re to fly, bur abo hcr pend'""t rOl'horror srol'les and utl'Ociou$ deraiI. \XIhiic onl}' prctcnnJl'!; 10 ma;nmin " dc¡ached st~n(e, Fri,b attimes ,mlccd paLms cx¡remel), glJplu~ _,nd honific liJings: severed l¡'nh~, lO'pSCS, maimed peopIc,"letiros of abuse or mpe, l11d i;lllmks, In a simiIarly Lmmobile, vo}'euristic posturc ~sthe Joctor LnThr Plel¡¡' Cmsb, " man ,<!ands in front or ~ Hoody corrse, d,e object of his lust ami ,evenge, in A

f'tw Sma// Nit.; (1935, 1'1. 6). The mm" l¡js beeL1committed, but the perpccrator alto as if he were",nocen!. In Jemonst",ting lhc cold-bIoodeclne." with wluch the \ll\l,.de[e[ con[~mpbtes his victim,

I'ricl" mkes common borror " ,tep funher

Bec,"LL>~ of her extellsive r~ad;ng, Frida wa.s ,¡ble to ,,,btly weaVC in literar)' rd"ereL1Cb, In addition,

she lovd to rmitate Me¡¡lC"n si" ng "Lld sprinkle hc[ p"j ntin¡;s ",ith ~llllSlüno to obscenc jokes. HerpassLoLl foc "ccuratd:: deplCting horror stories in ~vcry detail <lnd m~ticulollsly rcpresentingaL13comicalm\ll'der Jetails has ies litcmr'Y pawUel in tire Fl'ench gothic n0\'ds of, for insmnce,Alexandre Dumas, In ,ft, C\icn older models in,~jred he" ill p~¡'ti[llIar ehe bizarre pa".,tings of-

HieL'OLlyUlusDosch ""d rieter Breughd the Elder, Shc cxpl'e"e, her admrration for ,he two Dutchpa'nter, 00 a P"g~ofher diar)','!' Among thc WOL'ksoíHjeronymu, Bos(h (c.14)O-r)r6), pa1L1tings,ud, as TiJe Shlp ,1FooÚ ~ncI "1?Jt n",p/aifM ~( Sami l-liN,"''}''',''"'· "re likely to hnve ftlekd FridÚenthuS;a5m, ,ince ¡he c,"ndid deplCtion of' hUm"l] ity ~s a ITúlSS of IUL1"ticsW,LS nO! ooly revolu(lon-

ary fO[bosch', da}'; d\le 10 it, bl~(k humor anJ brting sat¡re it wnt'1)ued to oke on cOlltempof;'¡YUlCanLL1gs,f,-id" "egrctted ch"t nOl mueh ",as known "[,o,,¡- noslh's life beyond b~sil biogr.ophrG11data, She saw in him a kindred 'piri,., e'peciillv bec"",e his surTeaI imagerr IJCospokeherctl{ul te!!"

deocies_lrr this sen,e, Picter Dr~ughd (e ]):14-l')6~),too, doveraiIed with hu imagination, J~herran,bted countless puns "nd provcrb, inr.o imagcs. The wcllcr lOfmetaphor,s amI symbols in the "D.'it)" ljC-

[rida K",lo, PDrt'ait o/ -'-',d,o Mudo oc Cir,'Irom¡eh'la,ao, '90)'_ Oilen M"ooit" '-'_4", ,6,,"Priv"e celleclio", r,',OX;COCity

"~ic, pOlaque los qLJiero,i too;;o,los?" 1'<11;;r"iFeet '",Il,j dc 1netJ ,110m fa, f Lf,""., wirlg'\0 fly),19\J.Dro'.\'ing in f,id. "hlo', (li.r)'

"Te "OS; No. ALAS WTAS"(Areyou I•• ,jlNO.! BROKEN W,NGSI. Unclatt<l drowjnl

[riJa K,illo's di"')'

"Ir ",¡tI¡ g'"'' in"',-h~"",ti,. hoJ ,

1

0<1'-"1 ""u,ifol gi,l',who jJe{1 <",Ir 01Hi, fubl~hodlo,"hi,c ,,-< '"1,1", w¡,hhi, 0"'0 loog;og f",hopck"l)' ",,J!ove1'';,[,

,1>, lmagi!.'a,; LiU!;Hi"cs (W.'kd¡dd,,000 ,v,d",,,,,,

il muck '''0 '"',h!, to S" ,hi,"1:'"" dL'iJlk tcqud,¡;eh;" Quo~'d jo

-<10, F6,h,.'\

;.¡" i0d.,fo, ?J.le and Swdi,m

.h ,;¡"'r':'.ú SÚ¡',,,",,é,' ,¡"l¡,,,md blJ, ,J

'[', 11;,h ,d 1'""'''.",¡rol (O,tlilJem-

'"", "m),

fanr"SClcallywot~s'iUC worLs ofBosch ~nd llL'eughd idcntjjJc:; the world ul[imateIy aS an emper-iCct CI'e~tiOIl_Prom elrl}' OH, fridJ K~blo too, undoubtedly in¡]llCllccd by ¡he hor[()[s of her dq,reprcselltccl not the work of God, bU! nlthe! che mess m,,,, makcs of it-jn ShOIT,the world turnccl

upslde down,

lt \Vas J macobre voguc of lh~ ni"ctccn\h cennlry to revel in grotcsque, s~dlSlic KeoU"!>, hiel"Kahlo \Vas jJJftictllarlr fünd of th~ würks of lhe f ..eneh ",,.iter l\1arcd Sehwob. Even 111¡lel schoolU"ys, she was allegedl¡, abl~ (() reCLteentice dUjllCICS of h,,, books by hcart. And Mal"Cd Schwob

beionged to the very typ~ of ",tite,. who, dJ'Jven by" v,;nhd }'carning fo,. nl1d premonitions of death,dt\'o¡cd Immelf to the ,tud)' oí particularly io[.,mons st()fi~" TllUS Schwob, in h" IllJilgi",,'Y Lh.'fJ.,rcCOurm,d [h~stOILes of vagabonds, h"udits, cuoucho, "nd cuml11i1b, of prOStitOl res ""d wnmbincsm a ,cm.u-bbly emphntic tone 2nd cbcrihcd wirh rel;,hing love uf del"il [he !l11xip,tom bllt bÜterJemisc oí ~ach o( [bcsc chJmners from society's ii:inges_'l .!Iccording lü Schv/ob, ", _whar we milIove;$ ¡he de.,,]'e lO be mdtcd 'Hld mcrgcd os we once were into the womb of the gIobul", dCllj'tbat strife has torn open_"" \Vritns ,,,eh l' Schwob COllsidered cceation ¡tself nn act of crlldty,ha,icalIy, thcy Jcwsed C;od 01 b"Vll1g uc"t~el ,1. world Wh1Ch,from tbe outsct, inyolves man jJ1 evil.Comusely, Jbysmnl depravity W1>' consi(k,~el divj ne ""el reverec1 accordingIy, l'ridn, too, took grc"t

dehght in erotically cha'gcd bngllage, cflld~ J,bgc" ""d ,Iwly nighllife. \Xihen drink.ing tequila, as

Ll']J~¡..lJrin once mockm¡;Iy observtd, she (ould compete Wilb" st,~~t mILSlci~I1_")\l/ith the years,moreO\icr, ,he ¡!l>I.l\i(csted" g]'f)win¡: tendency towatcl s~dism, toward the ,"rud scli·:ch"srisement of

pOl11fulmystcmoo,

De SJde and the SurrealistsThe matabrc indinallOO\ oi" the lYbr'l"is ele S"de (171G-1Rq), as wdI 1S his wÓt¡ngs, whieh, foc

decades, ",ere banned and yet senetly read, c"n be lludcrslood ",' ~ consequeL1ce 01"the inld!ect,,"1"phe"v~l" folIo",ing the l'rench Rcvolmion. Surreali'ITl, Ul t!re Iw<,nnelh cel1tmy, was 100ted tn "

s¡m;lnrly traumatlc expericncc, the ~rrocitie., of- Wurld \X/"r 1 jllsr like de Sauc, this JrÚscic

movcn)cl1t ],cp''esenrs "" extreme 01 l'rcnch enlLghceL1ment thillk.ing,lO In rhe "ame W"y, l'rida'sexperiences of thc lv(c.xjc~n RevoIlllion and ilS accompJnylog atrocities, WhlCh shc wimessed in

person, in 50me c"'~s ~vc!l"s a vjnim, (~n be ullderstood"s ¡be stJtting point íor h~, critjcal inrer-pretatio~ of lhe idea oí imlivid",,1 frccdom \X'hen the llldlvidual fi:~edom oí others bcwmcs pLH'earhitraÚness, Jrtistic fi-eedom, in tllrll, js cnr;tkd to expose con\i€"tlonal tmonion "nel monlity ~s ama,k, Fricia Kahlo's personol plight-her cmotiOllJI ;nstabilir:y, her chronlc kdiogs oí emptin~s" thc

fel" of being abanJollcd-finds ils outlet LL1the discOUISC01 the al'! oí the lb,urd, ¡hil¡ ,S, "' thercaliz<lI'ion th"t creation l' 'pIit into good ~nd evil OL1dGod is tbus ;nvolved in eviL Tbc intcrpre-("!ion of K1blo's work LL1evit"blylnJs onc to ¡he subject uf nil. Wb".tcver ilS forlTI, it 1mb inaImost"U o[ he, pJinl:ings, be LtLnthe guise of)ucJVS," monkey, or" poisonous plan!. ¡;,.ida', paint·,ngs never Iack a dccpcr mea",ng, ~ coded refermcc to the filsw of cre,tion, Iwd thJt ,ndeed mah,

her a SlIlrealist, even if sk hcrsdi \vo\\ld h"ve reseL1teu this categoriutiolJ_

In April 1938 i\ncJré Breton come to Mexiw to lcCl'l\r~M the unJvcrsity on rhe Cll,.rent $(ale of po'

etry anu p"illting in ElIwpe. He en¡,>-ageain cJiswssioll$ O" íundamenraI issucs wirh leon Trotsky~nd Diego Rivera, resuIting in che ,~It",,/nti! iN' aill¡d~M!(il!J¡ Rnvlilfiondr)' lL.1t,,igned by all three_ Init, the}' 11lS1stedon the inuepemlellcc o[ arr ¡i:om any governIll~nt"l d;rcctLve,s_Trcmky "nJ Bretonboth rejcctcd Jlly St~linist elaLL'" lo power, but Breton'& inS1stence on I¡¡,ving ,he ""iter de Saciedl1mcteriz('d as an import~nt precursor of the IibcÚtion movement perpkxcd 'Ji:otsky. ll,.eton abo

hwl the opponun;ty to examinc hidOs work ami w:es ;nslantly enrh,,\lIed by it_ )( WJS moinl}'becau,e ofnrcron-, alfccted ;ntclIecmali r}' tint l'mla, as shc repeatedl)' crnp),asized, kepl' hcr di,tanceírom him.;L

or course, RrdOr, was a theoretici"Jl p"r excdlcocc ralh~I' tha" a pracririoocr. In his gen;"" 11OW-

"ver, he indeecl grJ'ped rI", C"",,(C ot' Fridl\ work, _11ldI)lilyb~ j[ WJS thi, Jnalytic >l1ility thar cuttoo dose to her, Since she wa$ constan tly (rrin;; to hiele her problems bdllnd a Il1JS(jueI",k, beCOl11-1ng excepl';o!HJIy acle!,r "1' it-", most pcople onl)' s"w Ü,e sU!Úcc oí ber wot'ks-it lS coocelvnbk

th"t she couId not 5t".I\d ;t whcn somcbod)' s~w IhwlIgh he" BIelO"" EllI"ojlc~", spcculative Iwr-spcctive was an Jpproach unroll1;liar to her_ \\'Iith 1m pychoaoJh-tically t"Ún~d ":'c, Breton wrote ~rem1rkably pcrcepbve e,sny On Frido K~hlo,

TIK powe,. of inspiration her-c " now-.s!.1ed by lhe nl'Jl1g~ccsta,<Jes of jJuberty

""J tbe mrS(Crib of geIlCr"tion, and, rar from conSlckring these to be the mind'sj1rtVJtc jJreserves, as ill SUme mlder di",ore5, she di'pbys thcm proudly ",irh "mixtLlre of clndor ami ,n:;olcnccY

Fridls art, in 1m eres, "blossomeel íorth "'1:0 j)ll[lO mrre.1l;sm," ""d he d1SCUUS In her paintingsthe ,ame que8r;on, prcoccuj1)'ing the EU¡'())'(,8JlSurreali$lS: "\Y'h&cirm[iOll~1 hw, do we obey, wha¡

sublectivc sign"ls "I1ow us to tstJblish ¡-heright Jll'enion "t 111y m0r11c"t, ",-hch ,ymboIs alld l11y,.hsprcdornimte ,n " panicuLw' coIlI'H\CtjOIl oí objects o, ?,'eh o( Iwppcniogs, wha¡ mean,n,? "lll be".scriLcd to tbe eye's C"Jfncit),ro ).la>., tro[TI \,;'''8i DOwer w v,,;o,n,v )JO'1\-w,"

Havlog \tudiecl medicL"c, ,~",iri' Hreton scr'iui '" a m~,!Jc i ""rp$ 0'0''''", \\:'o!'id W'", \ "ni'; W';$

transferrcd to a pSFhi~tric \Vard, whcrc he wirnCSocd tbe whole iL1sal1ityel war ""d it.> consc.qucnC"', In rhc pcoce,", he Jlso Ume auoss the ll1now6vc psychl~¡-ric t,,'¡I(ll1ent ;nechods uf5igmund FI'Clld(18j6-")3~) a.nd was íasCI""lcd Ly lll,' dlScovcrie, re¡;arrllllg the ¡¡¡ind', sllbconscious.In 19" he vis,(cd Freud "1 Viellna bm w"" di'''ppOJllrcd thn ,he psycho"nalyst, who had "I,eadyfallen .<el'lo\lslyilI with cancer, prove~ [O be rathe]' unnpP[{)JChahle. FcclIdiao concepl's suth JS amo-mati, writiog genel'~ I'ed by the sllbconscious mind are at the hc~rt of Surrerr~SIll, [J,ewn understood

n,tomat;sm,;lS v:dl", the dirn;nation Ot"illl'dledu"1 conl'rol, as" means lO liberate rhe rni",!. TbeDaoa "no SurruJism movcrncnt, Jefine thcmseIves rhmllg)' the relectioo oí aoy boul'geois hollow-ne,l', am¡egorilaI deni,11Ftid" Jale!' eleno\lllced as" bohenu"n fad 01'windbags Ull"hlc to cope w"hMe, /\l first, howevcr, the commOll gtound berwccn SurrediS( ¡megery ""el her work ((m!el nO(

simpIy be dlSll1isscd, \Vben Rtetoll "rrived in Mex1co in 1')38, Frida was ¡USl wmpleting rile pai~t-ing Il'l.-atmI Iklltr G"," ¡,,[, (19J3, pI. "1). In hi, e"ay Oll Frich, Breton $\lggUts thot ,he might luyeunconsciO\dy iIlusIrnted a phr",e k had Once he,l.rcl (i'om (he lips or i\JadjlJj: ") am the thought ofharhi"g in tbe rnurotlcss [(jom,";'

On tbe othe! hand, IVba¡ ti)! lFÚi'r (.;,m MI might IUSl.'s wclI. rdled J pocm n,eton wrote in 19,4'

The Marqu,s (le Sacie ho&gone back ins,dc (h~ cmptfng vob"oFL"Omwh;ch he had come

\X'ith his lovely hands stiIl frwgedHis }'ollng gll'l's eycs

,\nd that mcion,Jity on lhc cdge of hnrry-scuny whieh \Vas

J' K""",",, !he ,¡meS(;'I'd"';thi _"j_'c' ,\-In"", lh-",., ('x'WJfe, ,,,,,1

d,,'; ")"''-''''00,1<"" ,;",,·Iw.,"/e" ",' ", ¡(-d'"!."01,,,-,,In''"',-_el"

" ,\,,<iré' n",O", "1',;;1" K,hlo de1(,-,'""'," i" ni,,!, 101"," ""JTI"".-\1("-";';, dL ("t, (l.onJoo',,']'it('(-b'pd Act (;,;lb)', ,,&),,4-

,) ~\,Ji, """ ", ""-MdinM~',,"u,"'" [¡",O" me<in '9,t, InlcµS )", 1'""1;'1\,,, 1\;, ¡,,,,,k ,,1 th,,,,ne l;Lie.J""ib¡ng ,h,;, 0""",,1,d"¡ümb;r_ t\',di" d,,,,,,,,,Ú,,dhe""I!".,wfk ",,,den,,!;.,onl."IIro'on",d -','ÜJ¡", (,om,h,ti", J", ro the 1;", 1m" ('-oxG"";"", ,omothÜqIh' """ ui,IMO 'I';ri" uf ,he '¡,' wbid,,,,,,i,, ''''Ri,,'¡ I'","i{"(',0\0"'''''",,-ily I'"m;¡ '" to ,,11""';0 bu,~'IÚd\WC' '"'' "''V" ovecmme."Rrcwn, ,\~{,,_ """,1. 11i,h,,~1flow",-d (t\'cw Yo"k, Gmvc,¡00), ''!_ ",dj' "'CI\["",,",bcto" Lile,,"vd ,,~, "eJl puo'li,I",;I,nd "'"' "',""' tk ,,,'/I11m¡" (',"elu,,'_Ci. Volkcl'fB-1lo", 13111'" ([(,i"¡',,, '1(~¡

ij""'¡'''<g; Rowoblt, !?9C), ,¡ff.;i ¡,no", H"wo, "l'rid,K,hlod,

l1iyCJ":l,"¡n JiÚL ,\'"hi, a,,.,1W;,¡,11~,"",;, ';j.

,<eJ ,O Sd, SI,.."",.'.. ¡Jc,

"Ji; J, \/":.",idi. mxiriUJi< elu S/'''/''''/~'''IJin r'X, "d"i, Tob,,, &"0;', ~~ch",1"', ,,>el S".b" Z"'"fd, 'l,,,1> ",",1";,,,, ;0 rrx.~j0r'!&,,,', A iJiimg,,".' .,¡m!){J/<!):

,1. ",,,1"l.jeoo·Piü'," e",'i".fu" AooGW5(,\u"''', h.,"""i onex,,, 1+"", r9&)

1" ,Ile ¡'st 1,0" ,he hon,!>.,~",~I, ',il oc h V¡"g',"11)''w'"g 01' ,b, ";l~i",",,«1 k'TC "' "goes,rr,,, __

;tee ",di""", Ch" Mol",",'"OC ¡igu" 0" wbich OlO"I",,~, ,i"pül '"'' ofbod,«, "'"'c ,"",-i[,,,,tI(,hlo """''''''y dcpi'" h¡,ce, ",";n;og ""d '''i'prtiog'pOI'hody ·..;,h 00' "n",

QO,he dbow, "'rning Ih"I Ir"," ,id'~~i'[~'"y,.'\f""i"éj'",· h,.(N,w Yock; Pu'o,,,,,

"om 'ln v;,", ""o. P,m,,,¡"/JI""',,,k,!i.'''') rd"(v,;'h ,k ,id, n~ I.cm'

1, '\1:' !!áb, S~:h"'m,¡ ",i'{,,(~'iúl ,b, ,;tic X"b,i~,M,

1

1"",' TÜ". /l ¡;"'.S,,all N'p.!,he t;~"H<JSim~;",)' '" 1",,-¡,",',JI' OU~'",;5dlr~"";1,{" L/mi Tr6J!ky, !.!" ,\,10''''

.-lb.",)', ('i":"HK(.&'"g ,,~d 1,'.fk..." (,",h, I'ili 14i "'i0

f;¡o¡, I"he [m,), ,¡,-&,- &~¡b.'s4'rr,,",1i1 '1m }'""<,, •i.' ",,)h !lmÚiIIli-fXt, 'IL')'P.',,"~ ",id OH.'.. COI J~"'¡¡¡.'

IMt""Jm,.'I(I'~( aff o¡,."Th' fM, 'ui",I;i,wm ,/Gir! u.-..ib Ib.'& .-l!,µk ("",!,-'1, P,'OYIfll,,~),WA,nhe'''' ,',JI, '1;;' SÚ,"" ,rf1<I,(o"I:,in ,he P"ri,

His alonc

ll\lt Ji'om thc pholphorescent saIon with viscerJ lamps

H~ ha; not ,topped Ietting 11)'those mysle"'Olls comrnandsThat I"-c,,k thmugh rhe 1)10raInigotTbroOlgh dla[ btcadJ [011 ,ee

Th" g,~at c,,~cking ,hwlows the oId undc'"llned bJIkDissoIv,ng

'Jo petmil my lovillg you

fL the Ú"t rn8.r)loved the first wOman[n total freerlOnJ

TIJut Ji'eedOlll

For which jire ir$dfbecarJ1C man

For which the M"rc¡uis de S"de ddied (he c~ntul'les with 111$grc"t abs-tmct lreesOf tr~gk acmb""

Clutching the gossamcr uf desicc, Jj

De S,de and his volcano! .tUmost coml",lsivdy, de Sade Illyokcd the imJge o¡' the UlOunt<lÍnspew,ng¡¡r\: in the boob o{JlI>tin~ and)uiJen:c '" a IAckdrop 1"\.", j,i, l'XCesses, N"kcd, d,ackled vi[gin, "rC

bd!lg dmgged tr> :-hc ni!,,,, of tbe cmter, and time ami "gilÍn tbe eruptil1g glo""wg !av.) has to ,t"mlin 1\ a simile {ocUlole ei,)cuhtion,jn de Sade's work just JI' in hiel,'" p"inting lP:041 ¡he Jr1!1io" (;'m',,t1i, voIcanJC cruptioos Seem ro t[ig,¡;er I'he ",osI' horrit¡c crimb. At th" foot ol' th¿ barhtul, \'oIClno,Friaa reprcscnts rhe opposiriOIl, 'o dUIacteri,<ric uf de Sade, berwccll the elegant observn-l por-tlait of hcr bther witb the '''Jose alrenJl' amlr",ll", neck-,nd ChK MoP \vaiting 10l"bes viqim,

HaIf ,ukcd, Chac Mol emL\(Jllies ¡he f'rrmor:di,Ü (l'UeJty of "e"',,"1 hm, holding lh" ,t[ing 01'dc,\iremenl'ioncJ by Bretol1 f1rml)' in his hancl.

f,'riJÚ Ilrst solo edubitio,¡ took pl~l'~ in New York JI' ¡-hc)uhen Le,,)' G;Jllcry, fonncled ,n '931 bythe son 01'" New York ,...,,u btate rnogul or dle ,ame n"Ule. lt w~s only rhrough ,he ded,mtion oíti", gallcr), thar Surreollsmga\ned" r~put,tio[) 111lhc United 5Mb. [n 1.932, Levy h~d been ¡-heji,-,tto show V"Ií's Ulolten w2tchcs, ",.-~ile ~t ,he HUle time pre,ennng " d,versc ,w:"y oí /\meflcan

pbotograph}', cartOOJ1S,and des!gn Vuring heI ,Uy In New York.Juhen Ley}' ,torred"Il afra." with!'ricia, ~nd011 tbat OCC:LSIOn,also made dcli,9tc- photOgI"l'hs o( her-topJcs$,17 Prinnrily, bowcver,ley}' dC!inves CIdit ror ,howing ,JI of P,.id" Kahlo's nBJor ",orb up to thar jJoi"t ,n bis 193Rexhibjtiun.-'Y "laL1)' of ehe works were ~old, "nd tbcgreal SUCccs> (Jf ¡he show g"ye l'rid~ m,son tohope ,hal she wOllld Ix "ble to provide for hersdf iL1the fi;ture. Her ¡iHalle",-1dcpenrlencc on Rivera

was ,¡¡ti" COJK~rnto her:, Md she \Va, repe;ltcdIy f()l'ccd tu borrow mOHel' from her lovel' NickoIa,Mural' as welL 'I'he ovel'whdmJng response to her "rt in New York prorni,cd to (b~I>ge "11 rh,,!. Sbeimmcdiately 'ü-ci\ied new comrni:;,iuns, Ixing forced, fOl' instance, ro comple¡e a paJJui"g for thedirector (Jt' tbe ¡"·íuseum of !I.--(odcrnArt while Sl'iUat her hotel, ¡he outcome W"S S'~(PMmi¡ ",irb/l-folikry (1938, 1'1 (3),

Accompanying her ,how On its tour, frirl" traveled fi'üm New York to p",,-,. Th" COnl"".$¡ bctween[he Iwo ci[ies muld not lla\'e bcen mOte striking, The unrest relared to the SImÚ,h Civil \Var har!visibIy offected Pal'is, In FeblUary ¡939 rciligees arrived in tbe [ity by the tho\lsonds, sincc lJarcelona

Frid, ;:ahlo,19)OPllO:O, E,1w.rd ',",'e,!o"

Frid, Kohlo, 1,J8Phob lulienl.cvy

hod lust surrendefed ro F~J1KO.OcIJw'O ot thc beglJ1nJngof' the year rcgardin8 the d"ngers ofrascism "nd-rel8led to it-StdinLSITland the legacy of ele Sacie maJe fÚIillj1' tun bigb "' the p"J'lScuIturJIscm", Whm FridÚ "how opencd in f,.f,¡rch 1939, Hitler ()ccupied Pr"g"e, '1n<:l Madrid, too,fdI into the lunds 01 the Fascists. In addition 10 ,he viint]'y mld ""f"mili", lO hcr, the clly',atmo.'phere Sl1'uckher as eXITCmelyforcign ana inh"'l'"able

'Ibe <lj]Iv p€j~on in l"~ris,he app~,."nrly reir 'l.l c"sc with ",as ¡\larcd Ducb"m¡\ ,1ssertingthat he wasthe ollIy one fmm Ilrernn's Órde who w,,, toler"ble In a wonderfull)' angry lcttcr of Fcbnwr}' 16,1939, ro her New York love,-Nickob, ,\lmay, ,he vented her antipJthy:

Apilrl {i:Onl lIly ,bmn illness, Ilud l10thing but the wOrStIu~k ,ince mI' ""'JvalI had to w,it days Jnd days just like an idiot til! I mct M"l'<:dDud18.mp

(m,1"velollspaiotcr) ",ho;,; the onI}' one whn lus h,s rcct on thc c,rth, .unongall ¡bis bunch of coOCúOlUIl,ti[ ,ons ofhirchcs of' rhc surr~"list" He lIlHncdiatdygot nly paintings out and tned 10 ~11(1" g"lIcry. hl\<lll)' thcrc "'"'" galIery called"Pi"L"r~ColIe;'which acceprcd the d"m!! cxhibitioIl. Now Dretol1wanrs ro e~hib-it togerher ""'lh m)' painting', 14 portraits oi the XIX ceotnry OVkxiull), ¡\bout32 photographs of )\lvara Dr"vo, and lots 01' pop\lJ~r ohject.s '1dlÍch ¡,e bou¡:hton tlK m1rkc-l$uf MexLco-"Ü tbis ~Fmk.. elO )'OL>beat tI",t? For the l~'¡' nf M",,,hlhe galIl'ry lO supposed to be re,1ely.Bu!., the 14 oib oí tbe XIX cenrury mllSlbe .,ól"d "nel the damo restomt;on tak~s a whoIe ",onth. I ha" 'o lene!ro Br~ton200 bucks (011&) ia¡- the ¡-e,tomion becanse he docsn'l h8vc:; pcnIl)', \'\o'dI,alter things ",ere more or Ie« ,ettled ~s 1 tole!yOll,kw ,by, "gu Dreton 'old methat the assouated of Pierre Colle, ~n old ba$lard "nel SOI1oí" biteh, snw r1lyp"inting' and found rhM onl), IN.'O ",ere possibIe to be shown, bemuse the restare too "jj)(xkmg" ror lhe puIJlic!I couId uf kilI tI"t b'lly and eae it aftcnnrds, but

Ih",", ,J. n'g"dIJniv"'i,h"

:0,

!l"",,,i(b.b,"",,1 in fl"i,1enJ)i'R'tIph)'0'f,j",¡ijf.

I nm so sick nnel tircel of the whole "fhu th~l lluw clccidcd to scncl CVCl")' dJingto hell, "DelsCl1m ii:om ,!Ji, rollen P"flS befare I get <luts ",ysdf. You h"v~ noielc~rhe kinJ of bitches these peoplc ,l.,e, 'fhe)' nwke me vomit They are sodamn 'intellecrm.l' Jncl rotte" t¡lilt lean't staL1dthem ooy more, J¡;s reall}' toonmd fo, my eh,mlctn, l'd rather s;t 00 the I\oor in the ro~[kct oCli:Jjuc~"nd ,entOI"illas,th'ill to hove."ny thLngto do with those "a,tisti,~' bitches of Paris, Thel'sit {o, hom, on the "cates" w~,mHlg thcir pr~cious hchinds, ¡[L1dcalleWLthout,tojJjJing "bout "culrure" "are" "rc\'olutjon" "nJ so OL1and 50 forth, rhlllkillgthemselves thc goels of the \Vorla, dre.mll1g ¡he mose fJlltas(i{ nOllSC"'C~,amipoisoning the au with theories ~ncl thc01'ies th"t I\n-er lOme tfue, Ncxt mom-ing-thc}' don't have on)' thJllg ro CM 1\1 thcir ¡'ou,ts Ixcau,e il~iI"o/lb ..",. u/,rh 1mlthey Iivc as paraSLte,of the bunch of deh hitdlC' who admire the!!' "gen,"," or"",-tists."shi' o"d onlY.ibir is what ¡he)' arco [ nev~r seeo Diego Ol'you, wasting¡beir ["De Ollstllµid goo,ip "nd "intelleunal" dlscussion, thnt i$ why yOH "re r~aIII!III "mi not Ious¡, ",,,ists"-Gee wccz~ It WJS worthwhile to lome hefe onl}' to,e.ewhy Europe 1& rOIteoing, why ,til this peopIe-g()od fm nothinr,-,,,.e the mm"of all the H,tlers and l\fussolinis, I bet you my life [ wdl hale ¡his 1'1"-"" "",1 irspeople ,1\ long ns llivc. There i" ,omethin¡; w f,]se "nel \lnr,,~1 'I.bout IhcllI t),,,th d °0t el' uH me m\l,. '..

Still, the s\lbsequellt period in ¡,.[""icohad it.' ,ha,.e of elmrl1~,;JSrhc f"i1"reof h~T lT)lIIri"g~ lO DiegoRivem W,1Sse"kd by divorce. Newly completed ¡""",ing, s\lch~" 'I7Jt 'JÚ.'u Frirklj (1939, 1'1.17), 17NDrm!ll (1940,pI. 11;),SiI(l'Mmit".·ilh Cmpjltd Ha'!' (1.9,jO,pI. 19), a[)d "{Ix lfiJimder!T:bk (¡jg. r 37aooSl) ,ugge"t that Frirl~inlti"lly w9lltcd 10 talce t!Je ,epamt;on "\ 00 oppOf!unily lO further consoli-dare he,. Jr¡is¡ic >llltonOllJyami ¡¡L1anclOllllJependence. lr thc m<ljor lnl(l'i!atio!1c;1 l!.xi\ibiriM ~/StWlwJ!h", in 194::>~t t),e G"bía de Arte lV[éxicono,which jnc-ludcd ourocrous Lurope"" Smreali,t,",ho hJd cllJigr"ttd to (he lJnited Sutes or Ijved ill o;jJc in Mcxico, she \Vas1ep,esented with twoIargc-,caIep"in¡;~gs, Tk lit'o hiJa" ~nd TlJt Wi!it!Jdd Tlblt:. The widely acebimecl show suhse'lucml}'traveled lONew York and \'IJS" resolLmlLng,ucces" there as wcll Tlnt S;lrncyeJr, Fri(!J particip"tcdboth in the GOldM Gc;1f ,urvey of contempoml'y MnicJo MI'in S,m Frdncisw "nd In t],t blockbustershow 2000 Kan' o( ¡\LtK(11!A,;, :lt the Muscum 01'Modcrn /\rt in Nnv York I'dflicubrly io"trumen-tal to ha rise to fame W""' the Inv,rJtion 1'0jJJrticijJalcin ,he exhibition Wrmlei' ¡\'lIi;I,; Ofg,1nLzedb}'l'eggy Gnggellhelln, wh,ch pr("entul htr sidc by "ide with s(lllght-,Iier paintel's such as GeorgiaO'Kecffe Jnd Lconora CarringtoL1.

In ,pite o, these unplc~S~llt Clrcur))WJTKl",the ,hov<'in l'cUloagam was on all-a!Ounclsuccess, Thel.Olwre "cqui""eIone or hu wo,ks, S,{(-l'mmil 'T& Fmme" ("rca )()38). Nevcr báore bad J fcroaIea¡,tistfrom J.Ain ¡\1))niCl ,"cc~eded In [oo([l'er;ng this 10ft)' temµJc of mI. hida K"hIo fud arrived.in onl}' (en ycars, ,he had become ¡he 1ll0st broous wOman a,-ti",of l.oti" AmerlC1.

Another tragic event of ¡;real impac¡ occurrcd OnAUgll,t 21,19~0,when l.eon Tmtsky w", murcleredIn hi>;home in Coyo.1cin, l'ollowing dl.slllrbiog poIiee iL1terrogation"P""h tmvelcd to Diego, whohad al"eady )eft MCxlCOlor the United State, after the ~l'5t f~ilcdJssnssioJtion "1tcmpt OD'li:otsky,in orde, ro he out ofhamÚ way Afte]'~n e'lu>lllybrid' ~nt!passioIlatc aibir with lhe conector Heinz[)erggmen, FriJa ancl Diego mrrrl'1celfor rhe sccond time. They agreed, however, to lead ao openma[[i,~e, planLlingto live rogethct ~sa couple only platonic"llr-

Fdd, K,hIO workin~ "O ,he Wo,¡,,"ed rabie, '9~O,Pboto, Bo"md Silbers!,in