Frida Kahlo - Wonderful Woman No. 37

Frida Kahlo - 1907-1954
Mexican Painter

Added to the album by a wonderful woman called Esme

I recently read the article Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? by the art historian, Linda Nochlin. The piece explores why the term genius seems to be reserved for male artists and delves into why most people are familiar with the work of Leonardo de Vinci, Claude Monet and L.S. Lowry but would struggle to name an equal number of female artists. In the article, Nochlin, argues that throughout history women have been discouraged from taking up painting or sculpting, have faced social restrictions, been prohibited from joining art academies and schools but also that society often sees fit to elevate an individual male to god-like status but has been reluctant to afford women the same privilege.

Indeed, the subject in question, surrealist painter Frida Kahlo, faced such struggles in her own artistic career. For much of her life, she was regarded only as the wife of artist Diego Rivera, her work only becoming more widely acclaimed decades after her death.

During her young life, Frida had studied medicine but was horrifically injured in an accident. She suffered terrible injuries and was hospitalised and bed ridden for a very long period of time. During the time she recovered, she began to paint from her bed. She abandoned her plans to work in medicine and art became her life.

In Frida's work the heritage of Mexican art and culture was apparent, she used bright colours, some privative styles and mythical Mexican symbology, such as the monkey (a representation of lust) and took some inspiration from religion.

I've always had a fondness for that strong woman, someone who is very proud of her culture.
Marlene Benitez, Mexican Business Woman

Frida is renowned for her self-portraits and representations of the female form. Of her 143 paintings, 55 are of herself in some form or other. This began as she painted from her hospital bed, where she often spent hours by herself. Much of her work depicts wounds and pain, a catalogue of the horrific aftermath of her accident, illness in childhood and three pregnancies which all ended in miscarriage.

I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.
Frida Kahlo

Frida led an interesting life, she was twice married to Diego Rivera. As an artist, he had a huge impact on her painting style and he in turn was impressed and enthusiastic about Frida's talent. However, their relationship was tempestuous, both had extramarital affairs, Frida was known to be bisexual, one of her lovers being another wonderful woman, Josephine Baker (Wonderful Woman No. 25: http://iamawonderfulwoman.blogspot.com/2012/01/josephine-baker-wonderful-woman-no-25.html ). Frida and Diego were active communists, they became good friends of Joseph Stalin once he was exiled and granted political asylum in Mexico during the late 1930s. Frida died at the age of 47, she had taken an overdose, it is unclear if this was accidental.

For breaking the mould and becoming on of the world's artistic greats, an artistic genius even, Frida is an exceptional woman and very wonderful indeed.

Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?
Frida Kahlo

Below, Salma Hayak as Frida in the biopic film Frida.