IB DIPLOMA VISUAL ARTS EXTENDED ESSAY To what extent did

Transcription

IB DIPLOMA
VISUAL ARTS EXTENDED ESSAY
To what extent did Guillermo Kahlo, Alejandro Gomez and Diego Rivera influence
the concepts, content and techniques of Frida Kahlo’s Paintings between 1925 and 1954?
Isabella Maund
Candidate Number: 000828 0066
Word Count: 3,915
Figure 1: Frida Kahlo in New York (1946)
(Studio Rue)
Isabella Maund
Visual Arts Extended Essay 2014
1. Abstract
Frida Kahlo is now recognized as the greatest twentieth century female artist. Her art
explores female themes that are still relevant and timeless, and her work remains iconic for
the feminist movement. In this essay, I explore the extent to which the men in Frida’s life her father Guillermo Kahlo, her first love Alejandro Gomez Arias and her husband Diego
Rivera - influenced Frida’s paintings between 1925 and 1954.
In order to evaluate the research question, linkages between Kahlo’s paintings and the
three male protagonists in her life were explored with primary resources including Frida’s
letters to Alejandro, her paintings, photographic self-portraits of Guillermo, and quotations
from Guillermo, Frida and Diego. Key secondary resources were the biographical works of
Herrera and Kettenmann which helped establish connections between Frida’s paintings and
her life events. Other important secondary resources were a television documentary by
Hershon and Guerra, and many internet articles and art archives.
From my investigation I established that Diego Rivera’s importance for Frida’s
artistic development is widely acknowledged and well-accepted. More of a shadow in the
record is Alejandro Gomez Arias. ‘Alex’ was important for her artistic growth as he elicited
a wide range of emotional expression from Frida, at first in their correspondence but
ultimately resulting in Frida’s first self-portrait, a compositional style that became a leitmotif
of her artistic career. Of all three though perhaps the strongest but least acknowledged
influence was that of her father. Guillermo Kahlo taught Frida photographic skills which
clearly had a fundamental influence on the composition, style and technique of her paintings.
In my view, this influence has been underestimated in previous analyses of Kahlo’s work.
Future research into Frida’s recently re-discovered photographic collection will, I believe
shed additional light on the key influence of her father on Frida Kahlo’s art.
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Table of Contents:
Abstract – page 2
Introduction - page 4
Guillermo Kahlo - page 6
Alexander Gomez Arias- page 11
Diego Rivera - page 16
Conclusion – page 21
Bibliography – page 22
Appendix – page 25
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2. Introduction
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a Mexican artist, born to a German father and Mexican
mother (fig. 1). She is perhaps one of the foremost female artists of the first half of the
twentieth century and is often remembered for her individualism and unconventionality
(Hershon and Guerra). Due to the strong female imagery in her work, Frida is often iconized
by the feminist movement because of the appeal of her images to women, her efforts to claim
her Mexican cultural heritage, and her role in expressing evolving gender roles. Judy
Chicago, a feminist artist who co-authored “Frida Kahlo: Face to Face” (with art historian
Francis Borzello) supports the claim that Frida Kahlo has become an iconic figure of the
feminist movement (Cadenas).
“(…) the first (wave) were among women: Her story appealed to women, her images
appealed to women. In the second wave, in the Chicano and Hispanic movements, her
interest and valorization of Mexican culture appealed to people who were claiming their
heritage, just like women were claiming our heritage. Then the third wave was among gay
and lesbians because of her shifting gender [roles] and open sexuality...” (Cadenas)
Despite this feminist championing, there were three men in Kahlo’s life who appeared to
have significant influences on her. These were her father, her first love and her husband. The
degree of these masculine influences has perhaps not been explored as fully as the feminist
aspects of her work. Therefore I have investigated how her father Guillermo Kahlo, her first
love Alejandro Gomez and (what she claimed was her most “grave accident”) her husband
Diego Rivera influenced her artistic expression in her paintings between 1925 and 1954. This
led me to the research question, “To what extent did Guillermo Kahlo, Alejandro Gomez
and Diego Rivera influence the concepts, content and techniques of Frida Kahlo’s
paintings between 1925 and 1954?”.
Guillermo and Frida Kahlo had a special relationship. She was favoured among his
five daughters as he claimed she was “the most intelligent” and the “most like” him (Herrera,
“Frida: A Biography" 18). He sent her to the elite National Preparatory School in Mexico
City where her political activity started with a communist youth group called "The
Cachuchas" (Herrera, “Frida: A Biography" 22, 27). This group included her first love
Alejandro Gomez, who would later inspire her to paint the first of many self-portraits
(Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 27). Frida “grew up to love great men”, and at the school she
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met her future husband, the infamous Mexican artist Diego Rivera (Herrera, "Frida: A
Biography" 33, 81).
If we examine the concept of influence from a Theory of Knowledge perspective we
must define influence. In the context of this essay, influence is defined as being able to effect
someone or something by changing their behaviour. I will explore the extent to which
Guillermo Kahlo, Alejandro Gomez and Diego Rivera affected the style and content of Frida
Kahlo’s artistic expression, considering the concepts, composition and techniques used in her
paintings between 1925 and 1954.
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3. Guillermo Kahlo
Frida’s father Guillermo (born Wilhelm) Kahlo (1871-1941) was originally from
Germany (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 5). He was a well-educated man who had studied
at the University of Nuremburg in Germany, and he travelled to Mexico in 1891 (Herrera,
"Frida: A Biography" 5) where he learned his trade as a professional photographer from his
second wife’s father (Brooks, “Chronology”). By 1901, he had opened his own photographic
studio and was working for the journals El Mundo Illustrado and Semanario Illustrado
(“News - Kahlo Collection"). He was commissioned by the government to photograph
Mexican architecture, and also specialized in portraiture (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 7).
Guillermo was a particular influence on Frida during her childhood and teenage years,
and this had lasting effects on her painting style and technique. Frida and her father were
united through illness - they both suffered from debilitating diseases that often left them
housebound together. At the age of six, Frida contracted polio which held her bedridden for
nine months and left her disabled by a withered leg (Kettenmann 10). Frida commented that
this suffering through illness promoted a common understanding and closeness between
father and daughter. (Kettenmann 9)
“…my childhood was marvellous”, Frida explained, “…because, although my father
was a sick man (he had vertigos every month and a half), he was an immense example to me
of tenderness, of work (photographer and also painter) and above all understanding for all
my problems.” (Kettenmann 9)
Although Frida also described her father as a “kind of fearful mystery, for whom I
(Frida), also had pity”, it is evident that their relationship had a strong impact on Frida’s
upbringing (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 20). Guillermo claimed she was the most
intelligent of his five daughters, encouraging her to read and to explore the world of science
and philosophy (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 18). Ultimately Guillermo granted Frida the
opportunity of pursuing a higher education by attending the National Preparatory School
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(Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 22). There, Frida began to study for a career in medicine
which would have developed a thorough and detailed understanding of human anatomy
(Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 74). This knowledge becomes apparent in the content and
anatomical precision of much of her art work. So by supporting and encouraging her
education, it can be argued that Guillermo influenced the medical content of Frida’s
paintings. Examples of this can be seen in many of her paintings, a good example being “The
Two Fridas” (1939) which shows a coherent understanding of the structure of an
anatomically correct heart and Frida stitching a suture (fig. 2).
Figure 2: “The Two Fridas” (1939)
Frida Kahlo
Oil on canvas
68 ¼" x 68"
Museum of Modern Art
Mexico City, Mexico
(Brooks)
Guillermo’s photographic skills also had a strong influence on the techniques and
style of Frida’s paintings. He taught Frida the art of photography, importantly educating her
in the techniques needed to retouch and colour photographs, a process that was done
manually (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 19). The influence of this technique can be seen
clearly in many of Frida’s paintings which often focus on small and precise detail. In “My
Grandparents, My Parents and Me” (fig. 3) this is evident in the precise brush work in the
details of the “blue house” and landscape. From this, it can be surmised that Frida probably
developed her trademark technique of using small brush strokes in order to achieve sharp and
technically precise paintings not dissimilar to a photograph based on the influence of working
in her father’s photographic studio.
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Further influences from Guillermo can be seen in the style of many of Frida’s
paintings which are often portraits or self-portraits, usually executed in a realistic style more
similar to that of a photograph rather than the expressionistic or surrealistic genres in art that
preceded or were contemporary to her. Her use of realism in portraiture may thus again
reflect her exposure to her father’s photographic work (“artcritical”). For example, in the
painting “My Grandparents, My Parents and Me” (fig. 3), one can see how Frida has used
her parents wedding photograph (fig. 4) to inspire the portrait of her parents (Herrera, "Frida:
A Biography" 8).
Figure 4: Wedding
Photograph of
Guillermo Kahlo and
Matilde Calderón
(Jux)
Figure 3:
“My Grandparents, My Parents and Me” (1936)
Frida Kahlo
Oil and tempera on metal
12" x 13 ½"
The Museum of Modern Art,
New York, New York, USA
(Brooks, “My Grandparents, My Parents and Me”)
When analysing the portrait of Guillermo Kahlo (fig. 5), which was painted in 1951
near the end of Frida’s career and life, one can see how her father and his photography had a
lasting influence on her paintings (Brooks, “Portrait of My Father”). Frida always depicted
Guillermo as a young man, which was not necessarily how she would have remembered him
(Brooks, “Portrait of My Father). Frida maintains a sense of age through the coldness off his
expression, which is emphasized by the cool green tones of his eyes. This creates a glazedover effect, which is accentuated through the repetition of the colour and shape of the camera
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lens. The colour that is used in the painting has a warm bronzed tone, which is similar to the
sepia finishes on Guillermo’s photographs (fig. 6). The background shows small dark specks
of burnt orange, and there are also cooler beige circular forms of a larger size with similar
dark dots in them. This can be interpreted as a biological reference, representing the
fertilization of an egg, and shows the importance of Frida’s understanding of biology in her
paintings.
Figure 6: Guillermo Kahlo, SelfPortrait
(artcritical)
Figure 5: “Portrait of Don Guillermo Kahlo” (1951)
Frida Kahlo
Oil on masonite
23 ¾" x 18 ¼"
Frida Kahlo Museum
Coyoacán, Mexico
(Brooks, “"Portrait of Don Guillermo Kahlo.")
Not only did Guillermo influence the techniques and contents of her paintings but he
also provided her with the opportunity for self-expression through painting. Unfortunately
Frida never attended Medical University as in 1925 she was involved in a serious traffic
accident which left her bedridden once again for many months (Herrera, "Frida: A
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Biography" 47, Brooks “Chronology”). At this time, Guillermo Kahlo encouraged Frida to
paint, installing a mirror above her bed and presenting her with a painting kit. Due to her
limited ability to move, it transpired that Frida herself was the most obvious subject to paint.
This influenced the composition and concept of her paintings greatly, as it encouraged her to
express her pain, frustration and boredom through self-portraiture.
"I felt I still had enough energy to do something other than studying to become a
doctor. (…) I started painting." (Brooks “Chronology”)
In conclusion, I would argue that the analysis indicates the considerable influence that
Guillermo Kahlo had on his daughter’s paintings. I have shown that Guillermo provided
Frida’s first introduction to artistic composition through his teaching of her photography, and
that the techniques and subject matter of his photographs maintained an on-going influence
on the style and execution of Frida’s paintings throughout her life. It is said often that Frida
was self-taught, but without Guillermo’s encouragement and support, it seems unlikely she
would have embarked on her painting career, neither would the style and content of her
paintings have evolved as it did without his influence.
A final poignant insight into the influence of her father on her work was also recently
highlighted by the posthumous publication of some of Frida’s photographic portfolio. The
collection was archived and unknown during fifty years after her death and contains many
photographs of and by her father (“artcritical”). Without a doubt, the fact that Frida collected
such material reinforces the special relationship she had with Guillermo and further reflects
the influence he had on her output.
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4. Alejandro Gomez Arias
Following the early influence of her father, I would argue that chronologically the
second major masculine influence on Frida Kahlo’s work was Alejandro Gomez Arias, leader
of the ad hoc Communist group known as “The Cachuchas” at the National Preparatory
School (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 22, 27). Frida “grew up to love great men” and she
treated Alejandro as her “mentor” (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 27, 33). This early
Communist political affiliation was to last throughout Kahlo’s life.
Figure 7: "Portrait of Alejandro
Gomez Arias" (1928)
Frida Kahlo
Oil on wood
24" x 16"
Private Collection, Mexico
(Brooks, “Portrait of Alejandro Gomez
Arias”)
Figure 8: "If Adelita or The Peaked Caps" (1927)
Frida Kahlo
Oil on canvas
25 5/8" x 17 3/4"
Private Collection, Mexico
(Brooks, "If Adelita or The Peaked Caps")
Frida’s relationship with Alex developed against the backdrop of the Mexican
revolution which started in 1910 and continued for over a decade with civil strife and
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violence being a common occurrence (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 22). Frida’s
engagement with “The Cachuchas” is reflected in the painting “Si Adelitas” (fig. 8), painted
in the cubist style, a genre that itself was associated with Communist ideals, as Picasso
famously stated "I am a Communist and my painting is Communist painting...” (Esaak). One
could also speculate that in her portrait of Alex (fig. 7), the red background reflecting the
colors of the Party is no coincidence. However, there seems little other evidence of Alex’s
political influence in Frida’s paintings, though he did begin to affect Frida’s art through their
developing love affair.
Their relationship flowered over the summer of 1923 and from this time onwards
Alex began to have an emotional influence on the Frida (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 35).
To avoid the dangers of traveling during the revolutionary violence, Frida and Alejandro
would often exchange letters to stay in contact with one another. Their correspondence gives
an insight into Frida’s emerging romantic persona, in which she learned to express her
emotions.
To illustrate her emerging passion, consider the rather staid letter that Frida wrote on
December 15th, 1922 (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 34, 35)
“Alejandro: I was very sorry about what happened to you and really the biggest
condolence came out of my heart.
The only thing that as a friend I advise you is to have enough strength of will to support
such pains as God Our Father sends us as a test given the fact that he came into the world to
suffer. I have felt in my soul this pain and what I ask God is that he gives you the grace and
sufficient strength to accept it.
Frieda” (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 34, 35)
If we compare this to a letter she wrote two years later on December 25th, 1924, one
can see a huge difference in her emotional expression (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 40)
“My Alex: Since I saw you I have loved you. What do you say? (?) because it will
probably be a few days before we see each other, I am going to beg you not to forget your pretty
little woman eh?(…) tell me that you love me as much as before; as much as last December, even
if I am an “easy thing” right Alex? You must keep on liking easy things (…)Alex, write to me
soon even if it’s not true, tell me that you love me very much and that you can’t live without
me….
Your chamaca, escuincla or woman or whatever you want (Frida drew three different
female figures here)
Frieda” (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 40)
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Frida used these letters as an emotional outlet, which allowed her to grow confidence
in her self-expression. In these letters she also materialized her emotions through small
comical drawings. The letters to Alejandro persisted, but the emotional distance between
them grew until 1925 when the correspondence dwindled (Herrera, "Frida: A Biography"
41). Frida was compelled to find a different outlet to express her emotions for him, leading
her to paint her first self-portrait (fig. 9). I would argue that Alejandro is therefore a
significant influence on Kahlo’s work since it seems likely that if he had not prompted these
emotions, then she may not have painted her first self-portrait in order to try to win back his
heart (Brooks, “Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress”).
Figure 9: "Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress"(1926)
Frida Kahlo
Oil on canvas
31" x 23 ½"
Private Collection
Bequest of Alejandro Arias
Mexico City
(Brooks, “"Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress")
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The first self-portrait is of a similar style to the Italian Renaissance period and was an
interpretation of Botticelli’s “Venus” (Brooks, “Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress”). The latter
was much admired by Alejandro, likely the reason that Frida decided to create her own
interpretation of it. Without this goal to please Alejandro, she may not have painted
something as magnificent as this painting which would later go on to be of great significance
to Frida’s artistic career, as this self-portrait was Diego Rivera’s favourite from the selection
of four works that she would later show him (Brooks, “Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress”).
Before painting her first self-portrait, Frida was involved in a life-changing tram crash
in September 1925 (Brooks, “Chronology”). Alejandro was with her when the accident
occurred but he was not seriously injured. He was largely considered responsible for Frida’s
survival since he insisted the doctors try to save her, despite the grave nature of her injuries
which were initially considered fatal (Kettenmann 17). She had broken many bones, and her
reproductive organs were severely damaged, leading to failed pregnancies later in life
(Herrera 49).
In one of her letters to Alejandro, Frida explains how this accident affected her
perception, and one can gather from this quotation just how close she was to Alejandro at this
time.
“…a little while ago, not much more than a few days ago, I was a child who went about in
a world of colours, of hard and tangible forms. Everything was mysterious and something
was hidden, guessing what it was, was a game for me. If you knew how terrible it is to
know suddenly, as if a bolt of lightning elucidated the earth. Now I live in a painful planet,
transparent as ice; but it is as if I had learned everything at once in seconds.”
(29 September 1926)
("Frida Kahlo - A particular")
By 1928, the relationship between Alejandro Gomez and Frida Kahlo had come to an
end. In 1927, Alejandro was sent on a tour of Europe by his parents in order to separate him
from Frida (Brooks, “Portrait of Alejandro Gomez Arias”). From this point onwards in her
career, Frida decided to divert her attention towards Diego Rivera, and from the inscription at
the top of the portrait of Alejandro (1926) there is a sense of acceptance that the relationship
was over but that it was one of lasting importance (Brooks, “Portrait of Alejandro Gomez
Arias”).
"Alex, with affection I painted your portrait, that he is one of my comrades forever,
Frida Kahlo, 30 years later". (Brooks, “Portrait of Alejandro Gomez Arias”)
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Therefore we can conclude that Alejandro provided the emotional drive to paint the
first of her self-portraits with the goal of winning back his love. Without introducing Frida to
politics, she may have never been an active member of the Communist party. This may have
affected the contents and motifs in her paintings. Alejandro was also partially responsible for
saving her life in 1925 after the tram crash, but he was also the reason for her to be in town.
She may have never been involved in a tram crash if she had not known Alejandro, which
could have meant that she may have never needed to use paintings as an emotional outlet to
express the horrors of her recovery from her injuries.
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5. Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera was already a famous mural painter when Frida first met him in 1922
whilst he painted the ‘Creation’ mural at the National Preparatory School amphitheatre.
Rivera was infamous for his wild private life and sometimes outrageous public behaviour
(Herrera, "Frida: A Biography" 80, 81). Frida’s interest in Rivera marked the start of a long
and volatile relationship between the two artists, who were to spend most of the rest of their
lives together. As Frida remarked,
“Being the wife of Diego is the most marvellous thing in the world, I let him play
matrimony with other women…Diego is not anybody’s husband and never will be…but he is
a great comrade” (Hershon and Guerra)
Much previous analysis has explored the influence that Diego had on Frida, and I will
only touch upon the main themes in this essay. Rivera had an influence on Frida’s art from a
very early stage in her life. She deeply admired Diego, and sought his opinions on her work
so that he could tell her “sincerely whether or not they were worth anything” (Herrera,
"Frida: A Biography" 87). Diego encouraged Frida to continue with her painting and he was
particularly taken with her first self-portrait (see above, Fig. 9). His on-going reassurance of
Frida is perhaps one of the most commonly quoted influences, but it is not necessarily the
most interesting or insightful.
Like Alejandro Gomez, Rivera was a political man who supported Frida’s growing
interest in Communism as the majority of Diego’s murals included Communist themes. By
encouraging Frida’s political interests, Diego informed some of the themes of Frida’s
paintings, and help establish the ideologies that would later lead her devotion to Communism
(Hershon and Guerra). Frida commented on this later in her life:
"I feel uneasy about my painting. Above all I want to transform it into something
useful for the Communist revolutionary movement, since until now I have only painted the
earnest portrayal of my own self, but I'm very far from work that could serve the Party. (…)"
Frida Kahlo, 1951 (Brooks, “Chronology”)
Diego further influenced the content, concepts and technique of Frida’s painting by
encouraging her to paint in a "folkloric" style, embracing her Amerindian roots (Hershon and
Guerra). This transition can be seen through the change of colour, subject and background in
her paintings. Her first self-portrait was influenced by the Renaissance style, using dark
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colour tones and rich hues, contrasting greatly with her second self-portrait “Time Flies”
(1929) where Frida paints herself in traditional Mexican peasant clothes and Amerindian
jewellery (fig. 10). Rivera’s encouragement of Frida to embrace her Mexican heritage led to
the development of her trademark use of Amerindian cultural symbolism in her paintings
(Hershon and Guerra).
Figure 10: “Self Portrait - Time Flies”
(1929)
Frida Kahlo
Oil on masonite
30 ½" x 24"
Collection of Antony Bryan
(Brooks, “Self Portrait- Time Flies”)
Frida often mimicked elements of Diego’s style, as both used imagery of Amerindian
origin in their work. Frida shows this in a painting (fig. 11) in the style of the miniature
mural, “Moses” (1945), and the similarities between this painting and Rivera’s mural (fig. 12)
at the Rockefeller Centre entitled “Man at the Crossroads” (1933) are compelling.
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Figure 11:“Moses” (1945)
Frida Kahlo
Oil on masonite
24" x 30"
Private Collection
(On loan to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, TX)
(Brooks)
Figure 12: “Man at the Crossroads” (1933)
Diego Rivera
Mural
Rockefeller Center, New York (destroyed)
(Public Broadcasting Service)
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“Moses” or "Birth of the Hero", as Frida sometimes called it was a painting
commissioned by Don José Domingo Lavin (Brooks, “Moses”). Kahlo was instructed to read
“Moses the Man and Monotheistic Religion" and then paint her interpretation of this book.
In both works there is a central focus, but the eye is drawn to the framing crowd of
political, religious and symbolic figures on either side of the paintings, through the use of
diagonal lines. In Diego’s mural, these lines can be seen as ellipses of refracted light from the
lenses on either side of the central character. Frida’s work mirrors the organisation of
Rivera’s painting through the use of a large sun and radiating rays of light, but her work uses
a warmer palate and the bolder colours associated with Mexican folk art.
Diego sometimes depicted Frida in his murals and Frida sometimes returned the
compliment. In “Moses” the central figure is a representation of Moses, but it could also
symbolize Diego. The baby is painted with a third eye, with which Diego was often pictured
in Frida’s paintings, representing wisdom. The theme of the cycle of life recurs in Frida’s
later paintings. This is depicted by the life-giving sun, the hands of death surrounding the
baby and a dead tree sprouting new branches. At this point in Frida’s artistic career, fertility
became a very important theme that was represented in almost all of her paintings due to
three failed pregnancies with Diego (Hershon and Guerra). The motif of fertility is embodied
in “Moses” through the bisection of the pregnant woman, the representation of baby Moses,
and in the bottom foreground, a conch spurting fluid into a concave shell.
“…As with any aspect of her life that affected her deeply, Frida recorded her
marriage in paint.” (Hershon and Guerra)
Without doubt, Rivera was a major influence on Frida Kahlo’s work for the majority
of her artistic output between 1925 and her death in 1954. His artistic and emotional
influence on Kahlo has been discussed in many of the reviews of Frida’s life and work. Diego
summed up his visceral understanding of Kahlo’s artistic influences and motivations when he
commented:
“Frida is the only example in the history of art of an artist who tore open her chest
and heart to reveal the biological truth of her feeling, the only woman who has expressed in
her work an art of the feeling, functions and creative power of woman.” (Hershon and
Guerra).
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6. Conclusion
Frida Kahlo is acknowledged as one of the greatest female painters of the 20th century
(Hershon and Guerra). Her representation of female themes remain relevant and timeless, and
have made her an icon of the feminist movement even though it is more than half a century
since her death. In this essay I have explored the influence of the three key men in Frida’s
life on her paintings between 1925 and 1954, namely her father Guillermo Kahlo, her first
love Alejandro Gomez Arias, and her husband Diego Rivera. My investigations into the
academic research on Frida Kahlo have revealed to me that despite her importance as
possibly the pre-eminent female artist of the 20th century, she remains relatively poorly
studied. A notable exception is the comprehensive biographical works of the art historian
Hayden Herrara. However, in my view, there remains much scope for a more comprehensive
academic analysis of Kahlo’s work.
Diego Rivera’s influence has been reviewed extensively in other published work, and
his impact on Frida’s work has been widely discussed. Frida’s first love Alejandro probably
did little to develop her artistic abilities, but he fuelled her emotional development,
compelling her to paint to express her feelings and life experiences. However, the main
insight from my research suggests to me that Frida’s father had perhaps a much greater
influence than has been previously acknowledged on her developing artistic composition,
content and technique, particularly through his teaching Frida photographic skills. Hayden
Herrara has also very briefly explored similar themes of paternal influence. In my view,
much research remains to be done on this topic, and in particular the recent rediscovery of
Frida’s photographic collection and the publishing of some of its content will I believe give
further insights into this aspect of her artistic development in the future (“artcritical”)
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Works Cited
"Biography." Frida Kahlo Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.fridakahlo.com/>.
Brooks, Mike, ed. "Chronology." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.fridakahlofans.com/chronologyenglish.html>.
- - -, ed. "If Adelita or The Peaked Caps." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct.
2013. <http://fridakahlofans.com/c0024.htm>.
- - -, ed. "Moses." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://fridakahlofans.com/c0490.html>.
- - -, ed. "My Grandparents, My Parents and Me." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31
Oct. 2013. <http://fridakahlofans.com/c0160.html>.
- - -, ed. "Portrait of Alejandro Gómez Arias." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31
Oct. 2013. <http://fridakahlofans.com/c0032.html>.
- - -, ed. "Portrait of My Father." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
- - -, ed. "Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct.
2013. <http://fridakahlofans.com/c0020.html>.
- - -, ed. "Self Portrait - Time Flies." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
- - -, ed. "The Two Fridas." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://fridakahlofans.com/c0290.htm>.
Cadenas, Kerensa. "Judy Chicago on Frida Kahlo, Feminism and Women’s Art." Ms.
Blog. N.p., 30 Nov. 2010. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
<http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/11/30/judy-chicago-on-frida-kahlo-feminismand-womens-art/>.
Page 21 of 25
Isabella Maund
"Chronology." Frida Kahlo Fans. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.fridakahlofans.com/chronologyenglish.html>.
Esaak, Shelly. "Artists' Quotes: Pablo Picasso." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://arthistory.about.com/od/picasso/a/Artists-Quotes-Pablo-Picasso.htm>.
Frida. Perf. Salma Hayek et al. Dir. Julie Taymor. 2002. Film.
Frida Kahlo. How Stuff Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
<http://podcasts.howstuffworks.com/hsw/podcasts/symhc/2012-03-12-symhc-fridakahlo.mp3>.
"Frida Kahlo." Kunstmuseum Gehrke Remund. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.kunstmuseum-gehrke-remund.de/>.
"Frida Kahlo - A particular vision on Still lifes." Redbubble. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct.
2013. <http://www.redbubble.com/groups/womenpainters/forums/15369/topics/305107-frida-kahlo-a-particular-vision-on-still-lifes>.
"Gallery of Paintings by Year." Frida Kahlo Fans. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.fridakahlofans.com/paintingsyear01.html>.
Golden, Deven. "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos." artcritical. N.p., 8 Jan. 2011. Web. 30
Oct. 2013. <http://www.artcritical.com/2011/01/08/frida-kahlo-her-photos/>.
Herrera, Hayden. Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo. London: Bloomsbury, 1998.
Print.
- - -. Frida Kahlo: The Paintings. London: Bloomsbury, 2002. Print.
Hershon, Eila, and Roberto Guerra, dirs. Frida Kahlo. ARTHAUS, 1983. Film.
Kahlo, Frida. "If Adelita or The Peaked Caps." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31
Oct. 2013. <http://fridakahlofans.com/New%20Images/p-images/p0024.jpg>.
Kahlo, Guillermo. "Guillermo Kahlo, Self-Portrait." artcritical. N.p., 8 Jan. 2011.
Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://www.artcritical.com/2011/01/08/frida-kahlo-her-photos/>.
Page 22 of 25
Isabella Maund
Kettenmann, Andrea. KAHLO. Köln: Taschen, 2008. Print.
Little, Daniel. "Marxism, Communism, and Women." University of MichigenDearborn. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://wwwpersonal.umd.umich.edu/~delittle/Entry%20communism%20and%20marxism%20on
%20gender%20v2.htm>.
"News - Kahlo Collection Acquired." The Wittliff Collections. N.p., 30 Apr. 2013.
Web. 2 Nov. 2013. <http://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/about/news/april2013-frostkahlogift.html>.
"Tracey Emin as Frida Kahlo." National Portrait Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr.
2013. <http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw206353/TraceyEmin-as-Frida-Kahlo>.
Page 23 of 25
Isabella Maund
Appendix
Images Used
Frida Kahlo in New York. Studio Rue. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://studiorue-blog.com/style-icon-frida-kahlo-exhibition/frida-kahlo-in-new-york/>.
Kahlo, Frida. "If Adelita or The Peaked Caps." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31
Oct. 2013. <http://fridakahlofans.com/New%20Images/p-images/p0024.jpg>.
- - -. "Moses." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://fridakahlofans.com/New%20Images/p-images/p0490.jpg>.
- - -. "My Grandparents, My Parents and I." MoMa. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.moma.org/collection_images/resized/119/w500h420/CRI_162119.jpg>.
- - -. "Portrait of Alejandro Gómez Arias." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct.
2013. <http://fridakahlofans.com/New%20Images/p-images/p0032.jpg>.
- - -. "Portrait of Don Guillermo Kahlo." Museum Syndicate. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct.
2013. <http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/1/2934.jpg>.
- - -. "Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress." ArtyFactory. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/portraits/frida_kahlo/self_portrait_192
6.jpg>.
- - -. "Self Portrait - Time Flies." Fridakahlofans. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://fridakahlofans.com/New%20Images/p-images/p0040.jpg>.
- - -. "The Two Fridas." Frida Kahlo. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.fridakahlo.org/images/paintings/The-Two-Fridas.jpg>.
Kahlo, Guillermo. "Guillermo Kahlo, Self-Portrait." artcritical. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.artcritical.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Guillermo-Kahlo-1.jpg>.
Page 24 of 25
Isabella Maund
Rivera, Diego. "Man at the Crossroads." Wikimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Libro_Los_Viejos_Abuelos_
Foto_68.png>.
Wedding Photo of Guillermo Kahlo and Matilde Calderón. Jux. N.p., n.d. Web. 31
Oct. 2013.
Page 25 of 25

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