The finest works of Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo, one of the most important Mexican artists in the art world of the last century. Her life was the great source of inspiration for her paintings, in which she reflected her passions and sufferings. The finest pictorial works of Frida Kahlo tell her life story between love and the terrible pain caused by an accident that marked her work forever.

The finest works of Frida Kahlo

The paintings of this Mexican artist fall within surrealism since many of them seem to be part of the world of dreams, but above all they are a representation of the painter’s inner self. She, for her part, did not consider herself surrealist as she stated that what she did was to show her own emotions and her life. Her best-known works are the self-portraits in which she shows different stages of her life.

Self-portrait on the border between Mexico and the United States (1932)

In 1930 Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera decided to go to the United States so that Rivera could carry out a series of commissions in the neighboring country. The stay in the United States did not suit Frida well, who longed to return to Mexico. During the time she lived there, Frida Kahlo decided to paint this self-portrait in which she shows her mood represented by herself on the border between the two countries, her feet are on both sides of the border and the contrasts between one land and the other are shown. The United States very industrialized and Mexico full of ancient ruins and objects that remind her of her life there.

The Broken Column (1944)

Frida Kahlo suffered terrible pains due to an accident. In this painting, she wants to show the pain she feels, both physical and psychological, with a cracked marble column that runs through her body and is visible, though inside.

At 17 years old, the painter suffered a bus accident that would mark her life forever. Although she survived a collision that could have killed her, the aftereffects were tremendous. She had to wear a brace to support her back, faced 32 operations, could not have children, and had terrible pains. In the painting, she shows all these symbols of suffering she endured during her life.

Without Hope (1945)

In the year 1945 Frida’s health was greatly weakened and she had to spend long periods of absolute rest in bed with tremendous pains. In addition, to all this was added a chronic loss of appetite. In this painting both realities are represented by symbols such as the artist being fed through a large funnel from which many sinister shapes and objects emerge. Her bed is situated in the middle of a desert where no hope or reason to live is shown.

The Two Fridas (1939)

This is a double self-portrait in which both Fridas are seated on a bench. Both are dressed in typical Mexican dresses, but in different colors: one in blue and the other in white. They hold hands and the Frida dressed in white shows bloody scissors. Both Fridas show their heart which is joined by a single vein; the one in white, for her part, has it broken.

With it she wanted to show the world two feelings present in her and at the same time contradictory. This double self-portrait was painted after the separation from her husband Diego Rivera and shows the feelings the artist was experiencing during this stage.

Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace (1940)

In this case Frida Kahlo paints herself with the crown of thorns of Christ as a necklace around her neck. With this she wants to present herself as a Christian martyr. The necklace is the representation of the break in her relationship with Diego Rivera and the pain it caused her.

Diego and I (1949)

Although they divorced years before, this 1949 painting reflected the relationship they both maintained. A difficult and stormy relationship in which disappointments were constant between them. In this self-portrait Diego Rivera’s face appears on Frida’s forehead as if it were a third eye; also, it is one of the few self-portraits in which Frida Kahlo depicts herself with her hair loose.

These are just some of her finest works. In the main museums around the world you can find some of her paintings and take part in the debate between surrealism and the reality of the artist. Dream or reality? And in that case, was sadness her inspiration?

Whichever branch we take, the truth is that in the end dreams are dreams and the interpretation of her work can therefore be completely free and find hints of duality and even hopefulness.