Frida Kahlo, Biography, Bio, Diego Rivera
"The            only thing I know...is            that I paint because
I need to. "
"I            never painted dreams.... I painted my own reality.I paint what            ever
passes through my head without any other consideration. "
"I            paint self-portraits because I am so often alone... because I am the            subject I know best. "
"I've            done my paintings well, not quickly but patiently, and they have a
message of pain in them. "
"I am not sickI am broken... but I am happy to be alive
as long as I can paint.... "
....Frida Kahlo
As a young woman, becoming a painter was not a part of            Frida's career goals. Her goal in life was to become a doctor but a            tragic accident at age 18 changed the course of her life forever.
Frida's              life began where it ended in the "Blue              House" built by her father in Coyoacán, Mexico, then              a suburb of Mexico City. Her official birth certificate says she was              born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Calderon at 8:30am on July 6th, 1907.              But, in later years, Frida proudly claimed to have been born at 1:00am              on July 7th, 1910, to coincide with the date the Mexican Revolution              began, but actually she changed the date to simply make herself younger.              She later changed the German spelling of her name from "Frieda" to "Frida". She was the third of four daughters born to              a Hungarian/German-Jewish father and a mother of Spanish and Mexican              Indian descent: Matilde              (1898-1951), Adriana (1902-1968), Frida (1907-1954) and Cristina (1908-1964).
Frida's father, Wilhelm Kahlo , was the              son of jeweler Jakob Heinrich Kahlo and Henriette Kaufmann. He arrived              in Mexico in 1891 at the age of 19 with little money and "No              Hablo Español". Once in Mexico, he changed his German              name, Wilhelm Kahlo, to a more Spanish name "Guillermo Kahlo",              traded his Jewish religion for atheism, and never looked back. He found employment at a fashionable              jewelry store in Mexico City that was owned by the Diener brothers.              Soon after his arrival in Mexico, he married Maria Cardena and had              three girls with her, the second of which died days after her birth              and his wife Maria herself died following the birth of their third              infant, leaving Guillermo alone with his two young daughters, Maria              Luisa (b. 1894) and Margarita (b.1898). Kahlo himself was not a well              man, he suffered from epilepsy throughout his entire life.
On the night of Maria            Cardena's            death in 1898, Guillermo asked for the hand of Frida's mother, Matilde            Calderón y Gonzalez , a 24 year old fellow worker at the            jewelry store where Guillermo was employed. Guillermo married Matilde            who was a devout Catholic and a native born "mestizo" Mexican (Matilde's mother was Spanish and her father of Mexican/Indian            descent ). The Calderon-Kahlo marriage was not a match made in heaven.            Matilde later confessed to her young daughter Frida that she did not            love Guillermo. She only married Guillermo because he was German and            he reminded her of a previous young German lover, Luis Bauer, who had            committed suicide in her presence. Shortly after the marriage, Guillermo's            two young daughters from his previous marriage were sent away to a nun's            school. It was from Matilde's father that Guillermo learned the trade            of photography and he set himself up in business as a professional photographer.
When Matilde became            pregnant with Frida, she had just lost her only son who died of pneumonia            just days after birth. After giving birth to Frida, Matilde was too            ill to care for or even to feed her newborn daughter. Frida had to be            breastfed by an Indian wet-nurse whom the Kahlo's hired for that specific            purpose. This may be the reason that Frida never formed a strong mother-daughter            bond with her mother. Frida's wet-nurse experience was the inspiration            for her 1937 painting "My Nurse & I" .            The wet-nurse was eventually fired for drinking on the job.
At age 6, Frida            was struck with polio affecting the use of her right leg. Her leg grew            very thin, and her foot was stunted in its growth. During her nine month            convalescence, her father made sure that she regularly exercised the            muscles in her leg and foot. Despite their efforts, her leg and foot            remained deformed. Frida attempted to hide it by wearing pants, long            skirts or two pairs of socks on her right foot. She was cruelly nicknamed "peg-leg Frida" by her childhood classmates.
In 1922, after            completion of her primary education at the Colegio Aleman, Mexico's            German school, Frida enrolled at the Escuela National Preparatoria school,            where she hoped to become a doctor. The school was located in Mexico            City, an hour bus ride from Coyoacan. Frida was one of only 35 girls            to attend this prestigious school of 2000 students. Frida's mother did            not approve of sending Frida to a school so far from home and further thought it was unnecessary for a young woman to acquire such a formal            education. After all, she had taught Frida to cook, sew and cleanall            of the skills a woman of those days needed. But Frida's father had great            hopes for his "favorite daughter" and was determined to see            that she got the best education possible.
At first, Frida            thrived on the intellectual and cultural stimulation at the school.            By age 16 Frida was able to read not only in Spanish but English and            German as well. But Frida soon became bored with the teachers, classes            and her classmates and often skipped classes. She became a member of            a political group of intellectual bohemians that supported socialist-nationalist            ideas and devoted themselves intensively to literature and mischief.            They named thier group "Cachuchas" after the type of            hats they wore. The group consisted of 7 boys and 2 girls. The leader            of the group was Alejandro Gomez Arias, a law student, journalist and            later Frida's first lover. The group would often play pranks on unsuspecting            students and teachers. For one of the more serious pranks, Frida was            expelled but quickly managed to get the suspension revoked before her            family learned of the incident.
During this same            period, the "Mexican Renaissance" movement began. The government            sponsored local artists to paint murals in churches, schools, libraries,            and public buildings. It was at the Preparatioria school that Frida            first learned of Diego Rivera, who was painting his mural "Creation" at the school's Simon Bolivar auditorium. Although students were forbidden            to enter the auditorium while "El Maestro" was working,            Frida would hide in the back and watch him for hours. She became fascinated            by the "larger than life" man whom she nicknamed "Panzon" (fat belly). One day she shocked a friend by telling her that she one            day wanted to have a child by Diego Rivera.
In September of            1925, Frida was in her senior year and looking forward to graduation            and already making plans to attend medical school. But, September 17,            1925 would become the day in which Frida's destiny was changed forever.            On that day, Frida and her boyfriend, Alejandro, got onto the bus to            head home from school. Shortly afterwards, the bus was stuck broadside            by a trolley car. Frida sustained multiple injuries; a broken pelvic            bone, spinal column, and other severe injuries, leading doctors to doubt            whether she would survive. She spent the next several months in bed            recovering from the accident. Little did she know at the time that she            would endure some 30 operations throughout her lifetime in an attempt            to correct the damage sustained in that accident. Doctor's told Frida            that she would probably never be able to carry a child to full term.            This accident changed the course of her life forever. It was during            her months of convalescence that Frida began to take painting seriously.            Her only previous artistic tuition had been a few drawing lessons from            the commercial printmaker Fernando Fernandez, for whom Frida worked            part-time as a paid apprentice.
Frida's father,            an amateur artist, gave Frida his paints and brushes and her mother            had a carpenter constructed an easel that sat on her bed. A large mirror            was mounted on the underside of the bed canopy so Frida could see herself.            She began by painting portraits of herself, friends and still life.            Throughout Frida's short life, she created 151 paintings, most of which            were self-portraits and still life. Frida feared that after her death            she would be forgotten and self-portraits were her way of immortalizing            herself.
After the bus accident,            Frida's relationship with Alejandro began to crumble. There were fewer            and fewer visits. In late December of 1925, Frida started to regain            the use of her legs. Her first journey was to Mexico City to visit Alejandro.            She arrived at his home and knocked on the door but he never came out            to meet her.
In 1926, Frida            painted her first self-portrait: "Self-Portrait            in a Velvet Dress" , her first serious work and the first            of many self-portraits to come. It was painted as a gift for her boyfriend,            Alejandro, who had left her suspecting her of infidelities. Alejandro            admired Italian Renaissance art and would often give Frida reproductions            of Old Masters paintings. "Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress" is Frida's interpretation of Botticelli's "Venus" which            Alejandro admired.
Frida started the            self-portrait in March of 1926 and finished it in September. Prior to            sending the painting to Alejandro she wrote him a note of apology:
"Within a few days the portrait will be in your house. Forgive me for sending            it without a frame. I implore you to put it in a low place where you            can see it as if you were looking at me."
In March of 1927,            Alejandro's parents sent him on a four month tour of Europe with his            uncle.mainly to separate him from Frida of whom they did not approve.            By then Alejandro had also grown tired of Frida and wanted to escape            from her "possessive" grip. While he was away, Frida            wrote to him often to express her feelings and love for him. Alejandro            was supposed to return in July but July came and went and Alejandro            was still in Europe. When he finally returned in November there was            a brief reconciliation with Frida but soon their relationship diminished            and they drifted apart.
By the end of 1927,            Frida's health had recovered to the extent that she was once more living            a largely "normal" life. Although her school friends had already            graduated and moved on to the university, she resumed contact with them            and joined the Young Communist League.
At the start of            1928, a friend from her school days introduced her to a group of young            people centered around the Cuban Communist Julio Antonio Mella, who            was currently in exile in Mexico. One of the group members was the photographer            and silent film star Tina Modotti, the lover of Mella and an acquaintance            of Diego Rivera. It was at a party hosted by Modotti that Frida finally            met Diego Rivera face-to-face for the first time. Frida described their            first encounter as distant until Diego pulled his pistol and shot the            phonograph. It was then she said: "that I began to be            interested in him although I was also afraid of him". Frida            left the party that night without ever speaking to Diego.
Soon after, Frida            showed Diego some of her paintings and asked him what he thought of            her own efforts and whether he considered her talented. "You            have talent..." Diego told her and encouraged her to continue            painting. Diego was not only impressed by her paintings but with Frida            herself and began courting her...he became a frequent visitor on Sundays.            It was during their courtship that Diego suggested Kahlo begin wearing            traditional Mexican clothing, which consisted of long, colorful dresses            and exotic jewelry.
Diego incorporated            a portrait of Frida into his "Ballad of the Revolution" mural in the Ministry of Public Education. She appears in a panel he            called "Frida Kahlo Distributes the Weapons". Dressed            in a black skirt and red shirt, and wearing a red star on her breast,            she is shown as a member of the Mexican Communist Party, which she in            fact joined in 1928. Rivera continued to be a frequent visitor at the "Blue House".
On August 21, 1929,            in a civil ceremony in the town hall of Coyoacán, Frida            Kahlo married Diego Rivera . She wore a long skirt and a blouse borrowed            from her Indian maid and draped herself in a red reboso shawl. Diego            wore a plain gray suit, his Stetson hat and a Colt revolver at his side.            Diego was 42 years old, 6' 1" and 300 pounds; Frida was 22, 5'3" and just 98 pounds. Frida's mother did not approve of the union and            did not attend the wedding ceremony. She said that Diego was too old,            too fat and worse yet he was a Communist and an atheist. She described            the marriage as being: " the marriage between an elephant            and a dove." Frida's father however, an atheist himself, was            less resistant to the marriage and did attend the wedding ceremony.            He understood that Diego had the financial means to provide for his            daughter's medical needs. On one of Diego's frequent visits to the Kahlo            home, Frida's father took Diego aside and said, "My daughter            is sick and always will be.she's intelligent but not prettyI            see that you are interested in my daughtereh..?" When            Rivera replied that he was, Kahlo said, "She is a devil". "I know" Diego replied. "Well, I've warned you," Kahlo said and left the room. Frida's father was the            only one to attend the wedding ceremony. Some of Frida's friends were            shocked by her choice while others saw it as a way to advance her own            career as an artist.
The local newspaper,            La Prensa, described the wedding as "modest, without ostentation,            without pompous and unpretentious". The article started by            identifying Frida as ".one of his [Diego's] disciples" and then went on to describe her attire as "very simple            street clothes". After the wedding Frida moved out of the Blue            House to live with Diego in the center of the city.
At the wedding            reception that followed, Diego proceeded to get obnoxiously drunk. In            a drunken rage he broke another mans little finger, broke several items            on the table and brandished his pistol. Frida was furious at his behavior.            They argued and Frida left in tears. She did not move in with Diego            until several days later.
Frida soon became            pregnant but had to undergo an abortion because the fetus was incorrectly            positioned due to her fractured pelvis. Frida disparately wanted a child            but Diego did not want children partly because his painting commissions            obligated them to travel a great deal.
Shortly after their            marriage, Diego was expelled from the Communist Party after accepting            another commission from the Mexican government to paint a series of            murals at the Cortes Palace in Cuernavaca, South of Mexico City. As            a result of Diego's expulsion, Frida, demonstrating her loyalty to him,            also left the Communist Party. Although they distanced themselves from            the Party, they did not abandon the goals of Communism and continued            to support the Party from the sidelines
During this period,            the North Americans were very interested in the cultural development            of the so-called "Mexican Renaissance" movement in            Mexico. The United States represented a powerful magnet for Mexican            artists to profit from its more strongly developed art market. Rivera            was determined to capitalize on the opportunity and accepted a commission            to paint murals for the San Francisco Stock Exchange and the California            School of Fine Arts.
On November 10th,            1930, the newly-wed couple left Mexico for a three-year sojourn in the            United States. Their first stop was San Francisco where Diego was commissioned            to paint murals in the San Francisco Stock Exchange Luncheon Club and            the California School of Fine Arts (San Francisco Art Institute). They            moved into a large studio at 716 Montgomery Street that belonged to            Ralph Stackpole, San Francisco's leading artist in the 1920s and 1930s.            Although they arrived at the beginning of the "Great Depression",            there always seemed to be money for murals and lavish welcoming parties.            San Francisco's elite society idolized Diego but scrutinized Frida as            just an object of curiosity. Other than her trips to China Town where            she fell in love with the Chinese children, Frida was unimpressed with            San Francisco. She avoided the people whom she described as "boring" and "...they all have faces like unbaked rolls". In            a letter to her friend, Isabel Campos, Frida wrote: "I have            no women friendsand that's why I spend my time painting".
Up to this point,            Frida had painted only to amuse herself and never considered herself            to be an artist. She would often accompany Diego to his worksite and            paint small paintings on pieces of tin or board. In 1931, while in San            Francisco, Frida painted "Frieda and Diego            Rivera" , a folkloric style double-portrait that may have            been based on a wedding photograph. The painting, shown at the "Sixth            Annual Exhibition of the San Francisco Society of Women Artists",            was the first public showing of her work. A San Francisco newspaper            article described the work as being "valuable only because            it was painted by the wife of Diego Rivera".
The couple remained            in San Francisco while Diego worked on the commissioned murals. Diego            selected the beautiful tennis star Helen Moody as his model for one            of the panels in the Pacific Stock Exchange mural "Allegory            of California". As was his usual practice, he began an affair            with the tennis beauty. In retaliation, Frida began a sexual affair            with Christina Hastings, the wife of one of Diego's assistances. During            this time, the pain and deformity in Frida's right leg worsened and            she was hospitalized. There she met Dr. Leo Eloesser, a well-known surgeon.            He diagnosed her physical problems as being stress related and recommended            bed rest and a healthy diet. Dr Eloesser became Frida's friend and most            trusted medical advisor for the rest of her life. Frida painted his portrait as an expression of her gratitude            for his friendship and medical advice.
In a letter to            her friend Isabel Campos, Frida wrote: "I have no women friends.that's            why I spend my life painting". The            Rivera's planed to return together to Mexico on June 8th after Diego            finished the murals. Frida, however, bored with "Gringolandia",            left in May. Diego left on June 8th as scheduled. While back in Mexico,            Frida met the Hungarian born photographer Nickolas            Muray who was vacationing in Mexico and visiting friends. Muray            was a well known and socially prominent fashion photographer from New            York. They were immediately attracted to one another and began a secret "on-again/off-again" love affair that would last for            nearly 10 years.
In November the            Rivera's sailed aboard the Morro Castle to New York to attend            the opening of Diego's retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern            Art on December 22. Upon their arrival in New York, the couple was greeted            by New York's rich and famous but the spotlight again was on Diego.            Frida was simply referred to as "the young Mexican girl on the            arm of Diego Rivera" and described as "shy" and "...did a bit of painting herself". In New York,            as in San Francisco, Frida was ignored as an artist and had no identity            of her own. She continued to be referred to only as "Mrs. Rivera".            Diego's exhibit consisted of 150 works and 8 mural panels. The show            was an over whelming success...only adding to Diego's popularity and            status.
In April of 1932,            the couple moved to Detroit where Rivera had been awarded a commission            from the Ford Motor Company to paint a mural at the Detroit Institute            of Arts. While in Detroit, they stayed in a one-bedroom furnished apartment            in the Wardell, a large residential hotel. The hotel was conveniently            located at 15 Kirby East and Woodward Avenue, across the street from            the Detroit Institute of Arts where Diego would be working. Having lived            in cosmopolitan New York, Frida was not impressed with Detroit....she            referred to it as "a shabby old village". Frida became            pregnant once again but after only three and a half months her second            pregnancy ended in miscarriage at the Henry Ford Hospital. Diego never            wanted children and Frida knew it. She took quinine in an attempt to            abort, but it did not happen right away. On July 4th, Frida was hospitalized            with severe hemorrhaging and later suffered a miscarriage. She spent            the next 13 days recovering in the hospital. Her painting "Henry            Ford Hospital" documents every aspect of the tragic event.
In early September            of 1932, Frida received word that her mother was gravely ill. She and            her friend Lucienne Bloch returned to Mexico. On September 8th they            arrived in Coyoacán and on September 15th, Frida's mother died after suffering from breast            cancer and gall-bladder surgery just two days earlier. Despite Frida's            attempts to bond with her mother, they always remained distant. She            referred to her mother as "El Jefe" (The Boss). Frida            recalled that "I have my father's eyes and my mother's body". Frida was her father's favorite daughter. "She is the most            intelligent of all my daughters and the most like me" he would            say.
On October 21,            Kahlo and Bloch returned to Detroit where Diego continued work on his murals.
Diego worked long hours in an effort to complete the Detroit murals            on schedulehe had little time for Frida. To combat boredom, Frida            began to paint. One day while painting in her hotel room, a local newspaper            reporter came to Frida's room and asked if she could interview her for            a featured column about "visiting homes of interesting people".            Of course in the interview Frida was her own witty self and played the            role of the innocent "adoring wife". When the article            was published the heading read: "Wife of Master Mural Painter            Gleefully Dabbles in Works of Art"... but in the article Frida            proclaimed that "Of course he [Diego] does pretty well for a            little boy, but it is I who am the big artist."
After completing            the Detroit murals in March of 1933, Diego and Frida traveled to New            York City where Rivera was commissioned to paint a mural in the Rockefeller            Center. While Diego painted the mural, Frida began work on her painting "My Dress Hangs There"  a painting that expressed her discontentment with the United States,            its social decay and its fundamental human values. In this painting,            Frida expresses her dim view of the United States which is just the            opposite view of Diego's who was expressing his approval of the industrial            progress in his own mural. Frida was homesick and wanted to return to            Mexico but Diego insisted that it was for the best if they stayed in            the United States.
In early May, Rockefeller            confronted Rivera about the use of Lenin's portrait in the mural. Rockefeller            pleaded with Rivera to paint over the portrait but Rivera refused, reminding            Rockefeller that he had reviewed the preliminary sketches and approved            them. As a compromise, Rivera offered to include a bust of Abraham Lincoln...but            no deal. On May 9th, 1933, Rivera's Rockefeller Center commission was            abruptly terminated and the unfinished mural was destroyed. Four days            later, General Motors canceled the Chicago World's Fair commission.
In June, Rivera            accepted a mural commission for the New Worker's School. After its completion            in December, Diego was out of work. Despite all the controversy over            his New York mural, Diego liked America and wanted to stay but Frida            could think of nothing else but returning to her beloved Mexico. Finally,            when Diego realized they were broke, he conceded and agreed to return            to Mexico. Close friends of the Rivera's took up a collection to pay            for their passage back to Mexico. On December 20, 1933, they boarded            the Oriente for Havana and then on to Veracruz, Mexico.
Upon their return            they move into a new double studio-house in San Angel designed and built for them by Juan O'Gorman. The house            consisted of two separate structures and each side consisted of a studio            and living quarters...one side for Frida and the other larger side for            Diego. The two structures were joined on the top level by a foot bridge.            Frida devoted most of her time to decorating her new abode although            she did find time to finish the painting she started in New York: " My            Dress Hangs There ".
In            early 1934, after being pregnant for 3 months, Frida's third pregnancy            and health was again in trouble. She underwent an appendectomy, an abortion,            and an operation on her foot in which three toes were removed. At the            time Frida was having an affair with the Japanese-American sculptor            Isamu Noguchi so it's possible that the aborted child was his. Shortly            afterwards Frida learned that Diego was having an affair with her younger            sister Christina. Although Cristina was married, her husband had abandoned            her and their two children. Cristina had become Diego's favorite models            and she began appearing in his murals. Frida suspected Diego was having            yet another affair but never ever considered the fact that "the            other woman" might be her own sister. Frida was devastated            by the discovery and the couple separated. She felt betrayed by the            two people she loved most of all....she said she felt "murdered            by life". Frida left the house in San Angel for several months            and took her own apartment at 432 Avenida Insurgentes in central Mexico            City. Distraught over the affair with Christina and her separation from            Diego, Frida painted nothing during that year. The following year she            painted "A Few Small Nips" in            which she projects her emotional pain onto another woman's misfortune.            She occupied her time away from Diego with alcohol, parties and frequenting            the cantinas in Mexico City and the local pulquerias.
By            the end of 1935 Frida returned to the house in San Angel and she and            Diego reconciled. Although reconciled, they lead separate lives.Frida            kept to herself on one side of the duplex structure and Diego on the            other. Although the two separate quarters were connected on the top            level by a foot bridge, the door leading to Frida's side could be, and            alsays was, locked from the inside.
Despite all of the physical and emotional pain in Frida's life, she            was an outgoing person who used many 4 letter words in her conversations.            She loved to smoke, drink tequila and sing off color songs to guests            at the many parties she hosted. She loved telling dirty jokes just to            shock her guests. People were taken by her beauty and everywhere she            went, people stopped in their tracks to stare at her. Men wanted her            and women wanted to be her. Beautiful, intelligent, and immensely talented,            Kahlo was considered one of the most desirable women of her day. She            was romantically linked with movie stars, artists, and politicians of            many nationalities, many of whom came to visit her at the "Blue            House" in Coyoacán. During her separation from Diego, Frida            engaged in several affairs with both men and women. Diego overlooked            her relationships with other women but was infuriated by her affairs            with other men....Frida was careful to keep those escapades a secret.
In 1936, the Spanish Civil War erupted. Frida and Diego worked together            on behalf of the Republicans, raising money for Mexicans fighting against            Franco's forces. In January of 1937, Leon Trotsky and his wife, Natalia            Sedova, arrived in Mexico, where Leon had been granted political asylum,            largely through Diego's intervention. They took up residence with Frida's            father Guillermo in the "Blue House" in Coyoacán. Shortly            after their arrival, Frida and Trotsky became close and engaged in a            secret relationship. Trotsky's political status and Diego's admiration            for him made him a prime target for an affair that would give Diego            a few more "nips" for his affair with Cristina. Frida and            Trotsky would converse only in English, a language which was still foreign            to his wife Natalia. They would pass love notes to each other hidden            in books that they would loan each other. Sexual encounters between            the two followed. Their affair some how went unnoticed by Diego but            Natalia knew her womanizing husband and didn't have to understand English            to notice Frida's not so subtle advances towards her husband. But Frida            soon grew tired of "the old man" as she called him,            and the affair ended in July. After their relationship ended, Frida            painted a self-portrait and gave it to Trotsky            who hung it on the wall in his study. When the Trotsky's moved from            the Blue House in April of 1939, Trotsky, at the request of his wife,            left the painting behind.
During 1937 Frida            again began to paint and it was during this period that she produced            some of her best work. Four of Frida's paintings, " My            Grandparents, My Parents and I " and three other paintings,            were included in a group exhibition at the Galleria de Arte at the National            Autonomous University of Mexico. Although she considered this exhibit            to be "small and in a rotten place", her goal            was to become financially independent of Diego through the sale of her            paintings. In a letter to her friend Lucienne Bloch she wrote: "I            send them there without any enthusiasm..." Little did Frida            know that this show would be her lucky break. During the exhibit, Frida's            work caught the eye of the New York gallery owner Julien Levy. He later            wrote to Frida to ask her if she would be interested in an exhibit of            her works in his gallery in Manhattan. Of course Frida enthusiastically            replied "YES" and sent him photographs of other paintings.            Levy requested that she send 30 paintings for a November show. For the            next year Frida worked long hours to complete several new paintings            for the exhibition. When Diego learned of the proposed show, he encouraged            her, claiming it would be good for her and her career.
In April of 1938,            French poet and surrealist André Breton and his wife, the painter            Jacqueline Lamba, visited Mexico in order to meet Leon Trotsky. They            stayed with Guadalupe Marin, Diego River's previous wife, and meet the            Kahlo-Riveras. When Breton saw Kahlo's unfinished "What            the Water Gave Me" , the metaphorical self-portrait of what            life had given her...floating on the water of her bathtub...he immediately            labeled her a "surrealist", and offered to show her            work in Paris. "I never knew I was a surrealist" Frida            said, "till Andre Breton came to Mexico and told me I was." In later years in a letter to a friend she wrote: "Some critics            have tried to classify me as a Surrealist; but I do not consider myself            to be a Surrealist..Really I do not know whether my paintings are Surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the frankest expression            of myselfI detest Surrealism."
In October, Frida            traveled to New York for her first one-person exhibition at the Julien            Levy Gallery, (November 1 - 15). Frida was reluctant to go but Rivera            encouraged her by saying it would be good for her art career. That proved            to be true but Rivera's real motive was to punish her for her "not            so secret" affair with Trotsky in 1937. With her she carried            letters of introduction from Diego to his friends and acquaintances            in the "high society" of New York's art world. This            time Frida had achieved the status of "artist" and            was no longer referred to as just "the wife of Diego Rivera".            But not everyone was so quick and enthusiastic to receive "Señora            Rivera, the artist". The poisoned pen art critics lay in wait            taking aim to fire at will. However, when the smoke cleared, her exotic            presence, her costumes, and her bold attitude had charmed them all.            She was an immediate sensation. On opening night she rubbed elbows with            New York's elite and was the "belle of the ball". Frida            had finally arrived. Twenty-five of Frida's paintings were exhibited            and the show was a great success. About half of the paintings sold and            she also managed to acquire a few commissions as well. American collector            and film actor Edward G. Robinson purchased four of Frida's paintings            prior to the opening and then lent them to Levy for the exhibit.
While in New York            for her solo exhibition, Frida continued her relationship with the Hungarian            born photographer Nickolas Muray . They had            previously met while Muray was visiting Mexico from New York. While            in Mexico, he and Frida worked together to produce and publish a catalogue            for her New York show. Muray was an extremely handsome and self-confidant            man and, without Diego lurking around in the background, the romance            was free to flourish...and it did.
In January of 1939,            Kahlo traveled to Paris where Breton had promised her a show. However,            upon her arrival, she learned that no arrangements for her show had            been made and her paintings were still being held in customs. Frida            quickly lost her patience with the Parisians and in a letter to a friend            she refers to Breton as "the S.O.B. who organized the            show." and the Parisian Surrealists as "coo-coo            lunatic sons of bitches". Shortly after her arrival in Paris,            Frida was hospitalized for a kidney inflammation. Once released from            the hospital, she left the Breton's residence and moved into the apartment            of Mary Reynolds, a close friend of Marcel Duchamp.
Marcel Duchamp            helped to arrange Frida's entry into the " Mexique " exhibition being held at the "Pierre Colle", a gallery            known for "surrealist" exhibitions. The exhibition            featured examples of Mexican painting, sculpture, photography and popular            art. After seeing Kahlo's paintings, the exhibit curator declared all            but two of Kahlo's paintings too "shocking" for public            view. Eventually the curator allowed 17 of her paintings to be shown.            The exhibit opened on March 10th and included the work of photographer            Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Breton's own collection of Mexican popular art            and Frida's paintings. Among her paintings was the self-portrait " The            Frame " which was purchased by The Louvrethe first            work by a 20th Century Mexican artist to be purchased by the Louvre.            Unfortunately, that was her only sale.
While in Paris,            Frida herself did not go unnoticed. Dressed in her native Mexican Tehuana            costumes, she became the center of attention where ever she went. The            fashion designer Madame Elsa Schiaparelli created a dress, "La            Robe Madame Rivera", based on her exotic apparel and the French            Vogue magazine featured Frida on its cover.
Frida was not at            all impressed with the French and could not wait to leave. After "Mexique",            she had had enough of the Parisian people and on March 25th of 1939,            Frida sailed back to New York to pursue her relationship with Muray.            Upon her arrival she learned that Muray was having an affair with another            woman and they were engaged to be married. Muray wanted to marry Frida,            but when it became apparent that Frida wanted Muray as a lover and NOT            as a husband, Muray ended the affair and married his new fiancé.            He and Kahlo remained good friends until her death in 1954.
Broken hearted,            disgusted with the French, exhausted from her travels and in poor health,            in April Frida returned to Mexico and took up residence in the "Blue            House" in Coyoacán. During that summer, Frida and Diego's            relationship continued to deteriorate. Frida now felt deserted and betrayed            by all of the men in her life. All that remained was a fragmented relationship            with Diego, bound together only by the unspoken terms of their separation.            Frida was now desperate to restore some sense of "normal" in her life. Over the years of marriage to Diego, Frida had learned            that she received the most attention and affection from Diego when she            was ill or in physical pain.whether it be real or imagined. Desperate            to save their relationship, Frida once again played the "sympathy" card and complained of severe back pain. But this time Diego trumped            her hand with the "Divorce" card. Diego filed for divorce            and on November 6th, 1939, the Kahlo/Rivera divorce was finalized.
Devastated by the            divorce, Frida once again turned to painting to express her emotions.            The painting "Las Dos Fridas" (The Two Fridas) portrays two Fridas sitting side-by-side and            hand-in-hand.one is the Frida that Diego rejected and the other            the Frida that he loved.
Rivera's rejection            made Frida more open about her affairs, particularly her affairs with            women. In the past Diego had many sexual affairs with other women and            justified them to Frida by saying "it was just sexlike            a handshakenothing else". At this point Frida began            to view sex as just another form of entertainment. "Have sex take a bath and have sex again" was her new attitude.
In early 1940,            Frida's reputation as an artist began to soar and her paintings were            shown at exhibitions in New York and San Francisco. In September of            1940 while in San Francisco, Frida sought a second opinion from Dr.            Eloesser regarding her physical condition. Dr. Eloesser rejected the            Mexican doctor's recommendation for more surgery. His tests on Frida            revealed a severe kidney infection, anemia, exhaustion and alcoholism.            He immediately checked her into the St. Luke's Hospital for extended            bed rest, other treatments and therapies and to "dry out".
Dr. Eloesser was            also a close friend of Diego who was also in San Francisco at the time.            While Frida was recuperating, Dr. Eloesser convinced Rivera to reconcile            and remarry Frida. Frida agreed to remarry Diego under two conditions:            No Sex and No Money. There would be no sex between the two of them and            Frida would not accept any money from Diegoshe would pay her own            way to include half of the expenses of maintaining the residence they            shared. On December 8th, Diego's 54th birthday, Frida and Diego were            married for a second time in a civil ceremony. This time Frida took            a pragmatic approach to their marriage by saying: "Diego is            not anybody's husband and never will be, but he is a great comrade".            Shortly after the wedding, Frida returned to Mexico. Diego, wanted by            Mexican authorities for questioning in the attempted assassination of            Leon Trotsky, had to remain in the United States. In February, no longer            under suspicion, Diego returned to Mexico.
On April 14th,            1941, Frida's father died of a heart attack. The Rivera's returned to            the "Blue House" in Coyoacán to live and Diego used            the house in San Angel only as his studio. Over the course of the next            two years Frida's notoriety continued to grow and her paintings were            shown in exhibitions in Mexico City, New York, Boston and Philadelphia.
After the death            of her father, Frida's physical decline became more acute over the next            few years. She underwent spinal taps, confinement in a series of 28            corsets, and, over the next decade, several radical operations on her            back and leg which she said did more damage than good. She became very            depressed and in 1944 she began keeping a diary to document her emotional            feelings in text and drawings. She continued to make entries in the            diary until her death ten years later. This diary would later become            the key to better understanding the woman and her art.
Despite her pain            and heavy use of painkillers, Frida continued to paint and her works            were shown in group exhibitions in Mexico. As yet Frida had not had            a solo exhibition of her work in Mexico.
In late 1948, Rivera            began an affair with the actress Maria Felix that caused a public scandal.            Maria had a weakness for ugly men that no one understood. The press            nicknamed the couple "Beauty and the Beast". Convinced            that the actress would marry him, Diego asked Frida for a divorce. Thinking            that it was all just a big joke she agreedbut it was no joke.            Diego told Frida that he had come to pack his clothes and was moving            in with Maria. Frida was devastated. The Rivera/Kahlo relationship was            always in crisis: if it wasn't their love that was in question, it was            their health, their finances or something elsebut this was too            much. Her uncontrollable jealousy and desire to possess Diego drove            her into a fit of rage and revenge. She called the newspapers to tell            them of the "illicit" relationship between Diego and Maria.            The next day the story broke on the front page creating a flaming scandal            among the Catholic Mexicans who frowned on such affairs. They sided            with Frida and to save her career, Maria quickly ended the affair. Strangely            enough, but typical of Frida, the relationship between Frida and Maria            continued.
In 1950, Kahlo            was hospitalized due to recurring spinal problems. She underwent a total            of 7 operations on her spine during that year. Her hospitalization was            due in part to a severe infection in a bone graft she received the previous            year in New York. She spent most of the year in the hospital and most            nights Diego slept in a room next to hers. "When I leave this            place [hospital]", Frida said, "there are three things that            I want to do.paintpaintand paint". She spent            a total of nine months in the hospital.
Following her discharge            from the hospital in 1951, she was confined to her bed for much of the            time. Full-time nurses were hired to care for her and give her injections            of pain killers. She continued to paint but was only able to do so for            short periods of time. Over the next 2 years she completed about 15            paintings, most of which were Still Life paintings of fruits and vegetables            that she arranged on her bedside table.
Realizing that            Frida was near death, Lola Alvarez Bravo wanted to honor her during            her lifetime with her first solo exhibition in Mexico. Lola proposed            the idea to Diego and together they broke the news to Frida. Frida was            delighted and started designing and creating the invitations herself. Her health actually seemed to improve as she            began planning and thinking about the event. The 1953 exhibition ran            from April 13th through the 27th at the Galería de Arte Contemporáneo.            Frida's doctor told her she was not well enough to attend the opening            and she was not to leave her bed. The day before the exhibition opening,            Frida's health took a turn for the worse but Frida was determined to            attend the opening. Her bed was loaded into the back of a truck, driven            to the exhibition opening and set up in the center of the gallery. Minutes            before the scheduled opening, Frida arrived in an ambulance accompanied            by a motorcycle escort. Upon arrival, Frida made her "Grand Entrance".she            was carried into the gallery on a stretcher and placed in her bed. Although            heavily sedated, Frida's presence turned the opening into a display            of personal sentiment and emotion, rather than an artistic celebration....she            became a part of her exhibit. The exhibit was a great success for Frida            and the gallery as well.
In August of 1953, the gangrene on Frida's right foot worsened and doctors            were forced to amputate her right leg below the knee. She was fitted            with a wooden leg but her addiction to pain killers and alcohol left            her balance unstable making it hazardous for her to walk with the prosthetic.            In her diary, Frida drew a sketch of her amputated leg with the caption: "Feetwhat do I need them for if I have wings to fly." Frida's physical and emotional condition worsened. Before the amputation,            Frida told her friend Gisele Freund that "should her leg be            amputated, she would kill herself: 'I am suffering so much...I know            I don't have much longer to live'." After three months Frida            did learn to walk short distances and that lifted her spirits enough            to start painting again. She eventually grew accustom to the prosthetic            leg and would twirl in front of her friends to show off her new freedom            of movement. She told a friend "These marvelous legsand            how well they work for me!".
In April of 1954,            Frida contracted pneumonia and was hospitalized for two months. On July            2nd, while still convalescing, and against the advice of her doctors,            she, in a wheelchair, and Diego took part in a four hour street demonstration            against North-American intervention in Guatemala. This would be her last public appearance.
July 7th was Frida's            47th birthday. That morning, dressed in a traditional white Yalalag            huipil with a lavender tassel, make-up on and flowers in her hair, Frida            was carried down the stairs into the dining room. There she entertained            more than 100 guests throughout the day. At 8 o'clock in the evening            she was taken back upstairs to rest but continued to hold court.
The night before            Frida died she was critically ill with pneumonia. Diego sat beside her            bed until 2:30 am. That night Frida gave Diego a ring that she had bought            for him as a gift for their 25th anniversary....still seventeen days            away. When asked why she was giving it to him so early Frida replied "Because I feel I am going to leave you very soon".
Frida was a strong            woman but in a weak body....and in            the early morning of Tuesday, July 13th, 1954, Frida died in the "Blue            House" where she was born 47 years earlier. The cause of death            was officially reported as "pulmonary embolism". Suicide            was suspected but never confirmed. Diego refused to believe that she            was actually dead claiming that she still showed signs of life. To prove            to him that she was really dead, a doctor cut open a vein and she did            not bleed. Later that morning, a group of women came to the Blue House            and lovingly dressed their friend in her favorite huipil from the Yalalag            district. They braided her hair and adorned her with jewels. Friends            came throughout the day to pay their last respects.
Frida's old schoolmate            from the Preparatoria, Andrés Iduarte, now the director of the            Palacio de Bellas Artes, gave Diego permission for Frida's body to lie            in state in the huge high-ceiling hall. Andrés' only request            was that there would be no political banners or speeches.....referring            to Frida and Diego's affiliation with the Communist Party. Diego agreed.            But, later that afternoon, one of Frida's former students and fellow "Cachuchas", Arturo Garcia Bustos, burst from the crowd            and ran to Frida's coffin where he quickly draped it in a red Communist            flag. Horrified by his actions, Andrés demanded that the flag            be removed but Diego refused. That night, dressed in Tehuana attire            and over accessorized with jewelry, Frida's body lay in state in the            foyer of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, with Diego at her side the whole            night. By noon the next day more than 600 mourners had passed by her            coffin to pay their last respects.
Once when asked            what to do with her body when she dies, Frida replied: "Burn            itI don't want to be buried. I have spent too much time lying            downjust burn it!".
The following afternoon,            Diego and five others hoisted Frida's coffin onto their shoulders and            carried it down the marble steps to the hearse waiting in the rain.            A procession of more than 500 mourners followed behind the hearse as            it slowly made its way to the crematorium at the Panteón Civil            de Dolores cemetery. The coffin was taken inside and Diego and family            members lovingly lifted Frida's body out of the coffin and onto the            crematorium trolley. Lead by Diego, the mourners sang Lenin's funeral            march and other political songs. At 1:50pm, the doors to the oven were            opened and the crowd began to sing farewell ballads. As the trolley            slowly moved towards the open oven doors mourners held on to Frida's            hand, threw themselves on top of her and began to strip her of her jewelry            just so they could have something that belonged to her. As the cries            of her admirers filled the room, a sudden blast of heat from the open            incinerator doors caused her body to bolt upright. Her hair, now on            fire from the flames, blazed around her head like a halo. Frida's lips            seemed to break into a seductive grin just as the doors closed. ( View            Funeral Photos )
Her ashes were            placed in a pre-Columbian urn which is on display in the "Blue            House" that she shared with Diego. On November 24, 1957, Diego            Rivera died of heart failure in his San Angel studio. He had requested            that he be cremated and his ashes commingled with those of Frida. However,            Diego's two daughters and his wife at the time refused to respect his            last wishes. They felt that it was in the best interest of the nation            for him to be buried in the "Rotunda of Famous Men" in Mexico City. One year after Frida's death, Diego gave the Casa Azul            to the Mexican government to become a museum. On July 12th, 1958, the Blue House was officially opened as the Museo            Frida Kahlo.
"Larga            Vida a Nuestra Frida"
(Long Live Our Frida)