Frida Kahlo
Date: 22 November 2021 Tags: MiscellaneousIssue
An oil painting titled ‘Diego and I’ by artist Frida Kahlo has been sold for a record amount of $34.9 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.
Background
The painting is the self-portrait of the artist, representing her troubled marriage with husband Diego Rivera. It was painted few years before her demise in 1954.
Details
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Kahlo is considered one of the greatest artists of Mexico. She was famous for her bold and vibrant art.
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She drew her influence from Mexican culture, folk art, and her own predicaments. Apart from artist, she was also a feminist and political activist.
Early years
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Frida was the third of the four daughters born to a German-Hungarian Jewish father and Mexican mother of Spanish descent.
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She was diagnosed with polio at the age of six, leaving her bed-ridden for months and deforming her right leg severely.
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During her college days, Frida became a member of the ‘Los Cachuchas’, a socialist group. She also joined the Young Communist League, followed by the Mexican Communist Party.
Artistic life
Kahlo started to draw self-portraits looking at mirrors during her hospitalization. She started to gain several commissions after her paintings became popular.
Artistic characteristics
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Kahlo’s paintings were deeply influenced by Mexican culture. Her paintings were bright and made extensive use of symbolism.
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Pain and suffering were a constant theme in her depictions. The paintings gave an insight into her tragic life and feelings of love and loss.
Famous paintings
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Kahlo’s ‘The Frame’ was acquired by Louvre Museum in 1939. It was the first work by a 20th-century Mexican artist to be purchased by a major international museum.
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The 1939 painting titled ‘Two Nudes in the Forest’ was sold for $8 million at a Christie’s auction in 2016.
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Other famous paintings by Frida include ‘Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird’, ‘The Two Fridas’, ‘Self Portrait with Cropped Hair’, ‘The Wounded Deer’ etc.