Frida Kahlo is famous. mexican drama

There is a Coyoacan district in Mexico City, where at the intersection of Londres and Allende streets, you can find a sky-blue house built in the colonial style, known throughout Mexico. It houses the museum of the famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, the exposition of which is completely dedicated to her difficult life, extraordinary creativity and great talent.

The house, painted bright blue, has belonged to Frida's parents since 1904. Here in 1907, on July 6, the future artist was born, who at birth was named Magdalena Carmen Frida Calo Calderon. The girl's father Gulermo Kahlo, a Jew who came to Mexico from Germany, was engaged in photography. Mother - Matilda was a native of America and Spanish by birth. From childhood, the girl did not differ in health, transferred at the age of 6, polio left a mark on her life forever, Frida was lame on her right leg. Thus fate struck Frida for the first time. (with a visit to the Frida Kahlo Museum)

Frida's first love

Disability failed to break character and strong spirit child, despite his disability. She, along with the neighboring boys, went in for sports, hiding her retarded, short leg under trousers and long skirts. Throughout her childhood, Frida led an active life, striving to be the first in everything. At the age of 15, she was selected for a preparatory school and was going to become a doctor, although even then she showed interest in painting, but considered her passion frivolous. It was at this time that she met and became interested in the famous artist Diego Rivera, declaring to her friends that she would certainly become his wife and give birth to a son from him. Despite all his outward unattractiveness, Rivera was madly in love with women, and he, in turn, reciprocated them. It was a pleasure for the artist to make the heart that loves him suffer, Frida Kahlo did not escape this fate, but a little later.

Fatal set of circumstances

One day, on a rainy September evening in 1925, a misfortune suddenly came to a lively and laughter-loving girl. A fatal set of circumstances pushed the bus in which Frida was moving with a tram car. The girl received serious injuries, according to doctors, almost incompatible with life. Her ribs were broken, both legs, and the limb suffered from an illness in childhood, was damaged in 11 places. The spine received a triple fracture, the pelvic bones were crushed. The metal railings of the bus had torn right through her belly, perhaps forever depriving her of the joy of motherhood. Fate dealt her a second crushing blow. And only great fortitude of spirit, and a huge desire for life, helped the 18-year-old Frida survive and undergo about 30 operations.

For a whole year, the girl was deprived of the opportunity to get out of bed, she was terribly burdened by forced inaction. It was then that she remembered her interest in painting and began to paint the first pictures. At her request, her father brought brushes and paints to the hospital. He designed a special easel for his daughter, which was located above Frida's bed so that she could draw in a lying position. From that moment, the countdown began in the work of the great artist, which at that time was expressed mainly in her own portraits. After all, the only thing that the girl saw in the mirror suspended under the bed canopy was her face, familiar to the smallest line. All difficult emotions, all pain and despair, were reflected in the numerous self-portraits of Frida Kahlo.

Through pain and tears

The titanium hardness of Frida's character and her indomitable will to win did their job, the girl got to her feet. Chained in corsets, overcoming severe pain, she nevertheless began to walk on her own, it was a huge victory for Frida, over fate, who was trying to break her. At the age of 22, in the spring of 1929, Frida Kahlo entered the prestigious National Institute, where she again met with Diego Rivera. Here she finally decides to show him her work. The venerable artist appreciated the creations of the girl, and at the same time became interested in her. A dizzying romance broke out between a man and a woman, which ended in a wedding in August of the same year. 22-year-old Frida became the wife of 43-year-old fat man and womanizer, Rivera.

Frida's new breath - Diego Riviera

The joint life of the newlyweds began with a stormy scandal right during the wedding, and was seething with passions throughout its length. They were connected by great, sometimes painful feelings. How creative person, Diego was not distinguished by fidelity and often cheated on his wife, not particularly hiding this fact. Frida forgave, sometimes in a fit of anger and in retaliation to her husband, she tried to spin novels, but the jealous Rivera stopped them in the bud, and quickly put the presumptuous wife and potential lover in their place. Until, one day, Frida cheated on her own younger sister. This was the third blow dealt to the woman by fate - the villain.

Frida's patience came to an end and the couple broke up. After leaving for New York, she tried her best to erase Diego Rivera from her life, twisted dizzying novels one after another and suffered, not only from love for her unfaithful husband, but also from physical pain. Her injuries increasingly made themselves felt. Therefore, when the doctors offered the artist an operation, she agreed without hesitation. It was at this difficult time that Diego found a fugitive in one of the clinics and again proposed to her. The couple were together again.

Works by Frida Kahlo

All the paintings of the artist are strong, sensual and individual, they found responses to incidents and events from the life of a young woman, and in many the bitterness of unfulfilled hopes is evident. Most of its family life, Frida was eager to conceive and bear a child, despite her husband's categorical refusal to have children. All three of her pregnancies, unfortunately, ended in failure. This disastrous fact for Frida was the prerequisite for writing the painting "Henry Ford Hospital", in which all the pain of a woman who could not become a mother splashed out.

And the work called “Just a Few Scratches”, which depicts the artist herself, bleeding from wounds inflicted by her husband, reflects the depth, cruelty and tragedy of the marital relationship between Frida and Diego.

Leon Trotsky in the life of Frida Kahlo

An ardent communist and revolutionary, Rivera infected his wife with his ideas, many of her paintings became their embodiment and are dedicated to prominent figures of communism. In 1937, at the invitation of Diego, Lev Davidovich Trotsky stayed in the house of the spouses, fleeing political persecution in hot Mexico. Rumor ascribes romantic undertones to the relationship between Kahlo and Trotsky, the allegedly temperamental Mexican woman won the heart of the Soviet revolutionary and, despite his venerable age, he was carried away by her like a boy. But Frida quickly got bored with Trotsky's obsession, reason prevailed over feelings, and the woman found the strength to end the short romance.

The vast majority of Frida Kahlo's paintings are permeated with national motifs; she treated the culture and history of her homeland with great devotion and respect, collecting works folk art and preferring national costumes even in everyday Everyday life. The world appreciated the works of Kahlo only a decade and a half after the beginning creative career, at the Paris Exhibition of Mexican Art, organized by a devoted admirer of her talent - French writer Andre Breton.

Public recognition of Frida's work

Frida's works made a real sensation, not only in the "mere mortal" minds, but also in the ranks of venerable artists of that time, among whom were such famous painters like P. Picasso and V. Kandinsky. And one of her paintings was honored and was placed in the Louvre. However, these successes left Kahlo rather indifferent, she did not want to fit into the framework of any standards, and did not identify herself with any of their artistic movements. She had her own unique style, which still baffles art critics, although due to the high symbolism, many considered her paintings to be surreal.

Together with universal recognition, Frida's illness worsens, having survived several operations on the spine, she loses the ability to move independently and is forced to transfer to wheelchair, and soon completely loses his right leg. Diego is constantly next to his wife, caring for her, refusing orders. Just at this time, her old dream comes true: the first large solo exhibition opens, to which the artist arrives by ambulance, straight from the hospital and literally "flies" into the hall on a sanitary stretcher.

Frida Kahlo's legacy

Frida Kahlo died, in a dream, at the age of 47, from pneumonia, being recognized as a great artist, her ashes and death mask to this day is stored in the house - a museum, opened two years after her death, in the house where her whole hard life passed. Everything connected with the name of the great artist is collected here. The environment and atmosphere in which Frida and Diego lived is preserved with impeccable accuracy, and the things that belonged to the spouses, it would seem, still keep the warmth of their hands. Brushes, paints and an easel with an unfinished painting, everything looks like the author is about to return and continue working. In Rivera's bedroom, on a hanger, his hats and overalls are waiting for their master.

The museum preserves many personal belongings of the great artist, clothes, shoes, jewelry, as well as items reminiscent of her physical suffering: a boot from a shortened right leg, corsets, a wheelchair and a fake leg that Kahlo wore after the amputation of a limb. Everywhere there are photographs of spouses, books and albums are laid out and, of course, their immortal paintings. (you can visit the Frida Kahlo Museum in ours)

Getting into the courtyard of the "blue house" you understand how dear the Mexicans are the memory of the legendary woman for her perfect cleanliness and decoration, and the outlandish figurines made of red clay placed everywhere tell visitors about the spouses' love for works of art, America of the pre-Columbian period.

Viva la vida!

For the inhabitants of Mexico, and for all mankind, Frida Kahlo will forever remain national heroine and an example of great vitality and courage. Despite the pain and suffering that went hand in hand with her all her life, she never lost her optimism, sense of humor and presence of mind. Isn't that what the inscription made on her last picture, 8 days before death, "Viva la vida" - "Long live life."

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo ... How much noise in Lately around her name in the art world! But at the same time, how little we know about the biography of Frida Kahlo, this original, unique artist. What image comes to mind when we hear her name? Many probably represent a woman with thick black eyebrows, fused at the bridge of her nose, penetrating gaze, neatly tied hair. This woman is certainly dressed in a bright ethnic costume. Add here a difficult dramatic fate and a huge number of self-portraits that she left behind.

So what explains the sudden interest in the work of this Mexican artist? How did she, a woman with a surprisingly tragic fate, manage to conquer and make the world of art tremble? We invite you to take a short journey through the pages of Frida Kahlo's life, learn a little more about her extraordinary work and find answers to these and many other questions for yourself.

The secret of an unusual name

The biography of Frida Kahlo fascinates from the very first days of her difficult life.

July 6, 1907 in the family of a simple Mexican photographer Guillermo Kahlo happened significant event. The future talented artist Frida Kahlo was born, showing the whole world the originality of Mexican culture.

At birth, the girl received the name Magdalena. The full Spanish version is as follows: Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo Calderon. The name Frida, under which she became known to the whole world, the future artist began to use in order to emphasize German origin her family (as you know, her father was from Germany). It is also worth noting that Frieda is consonant with the German word Frieden, which means tranquility, peace, tranquility.

The formation of character

Frida grew up in a female environment. She was the third of four daughters in the family and, in addition, had two older sisters from her father's first marriage. In addition to this circumstance, the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1917 had a considerable impact on the formation of its character. Serious economic crisis Civil War, constant violence and shooting around tempered Frida, instilling in her fortitude and a desire to fight for a happy life.

However, the story of Frida Kahlo would not be so tragic and unique if her misadventures ended there. While still a child, at the age of 6, Frida contracted polio. As a result terrible disease her right leg became thinner than her left, while Frida herself remained lame.

First inspiration

12 years later, on September 17, 1925, trouble again befell Frida. A young girl got into a car accident. The bus she was on collided with a tram. For many passengers, the accident was fatal. What happened to Frida?

The girl was sitting not far from the handrail, which broke off during the impact, piercing her through and damaging her stomach and uterus. She also received severe injuries touching almost all parts of her body: spine, ribs, pelvis, legs and shoulders. Many of the health problems caused by the accident, Frida never managed to get rid of. Fortunately, she survived, but she could never have children again. It is known about three attempts by her to bear a child, each of which ended in a miscarriage.

Young, full of vitality open to the world and bringing light and joy to him, Frida, who just yesterday ran to classes and dreamed of becoming a doctor, is now chained to a hospital bed. She had to undergo dozens of operations, spend hundreds of hours in hospitals to save her life. Now she cannot look at white coats without disgust - she is so tired of hospitals. But, no matter how sad it all seemed, this period was the beginning of her new life.

Bedridden, unable to walk or take care of herself, Frida Kahlo discovered her talent. In order not to go crazy with boredom, Frida painted her bandage corset. The girl liked the lesson, and she began to draw.

The first paintings of Frida Kahlo appeared in the hospital ward. Her parents ordered her a special stretcher so that Frida could paint while lying down. A mirror was installed under the ceiling. Her father brought her oil paints. And Frida began to create. The first self-portraits of Frida Kahlo began to gradually appear. Below is one of them - "Self-portrait in a velvet dress."

In the hospital, Frida realized that even if she could not tell people all her pain with words, she could easily do it through paints and canvas. Thus, the new Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was “born”.

Personal life

Speaking about the biography of Frida Kahlo, it is absolutely impossible to ignore the person who played a key role in her life. The man's name is Diego Rivera.

“I have had two accidents in my life. The first is a tram, the second is Diego Rivera. The second one is scarier.

This famous quote by Frida Kahlo very accurately reflects the difficult nature of her husband and the relationship of the Mexican couple in general. If the first tragedy, having mutilated Frida's body, pushed her to creativity, then the second left indelible scars on her soul, developing both pain and talent.

Diego Rivera was a successful Mexican mural artist. Not only artistic talent, but also political convictions - he was a supporter of communist ideas - and countless love adventures glorified his name. future husband Frida Kahlo was not particularly handsome, he was a rather obese, somewhat clumsy man, in addition, they were separated by a huge age difference - 21 years. But, despite this, he managed to win the heart of a young artist.

Frida Kahlo's husband became for her, in fact, the center of the universe. She furiously painted his portraits, forgave endless betrayals and was ready to forget betrayals.

Love or betrayal?

There was everything in Frida and Diego's romance: unbridled passion, extraordinary devotion, great love inextricably linked with betrayal, jealousy and pain.

Look at the picture below. This is The Broken Column, which Frida wrote in 1944, reflecting her sorrows in it.

Inside the body, once full of life and energy, a collapsing pillar can be seen. The support of this body is the spine. But there are also nails. Many nails that represent the pain brought by Diego Rivera. As mentioned above, he was not ashamed to cheat on Frida. Frida's sister became his next mistress, which turned out to be a blow to her. Diego answered this like this: “It's just a physical attraction. Are you saying it hurts? But no, it's just a couple of scratches."

Very soon, one of Frida Kahlo's paintings will receive a title based on these words: "Just a few scratches!"

Diego Rivera was indeed a man with a very complex nature. However, this is what inspired the artist Frida Kahlo. Inspired through the pain, ever stronger tying the two strong personalities. He exhausted her, but at the same time he loved and respected her immensely.

Significant Paintings by Frida Kahlo

Looking at the considerable number of self-portraits that the Mexican artist left behind, there is no doubt that for her they were not just a way to express her creative impulses, but above all an opportunity to tell the world the story of her life - a complex and dramatic life. It is worth paying attention to the names of the paintings themselves: “Broken Column”, “Just a Few Scratches!”, “Self-Portrait in a Necklace of Thorns”, “Two Fridas”, “Self-Portrait on the Border between Mexico and the United States”, “Wounded Deer” and other. The names are very specific and revealing. In total, there are 55 self-portraits of Frida Kahlo, and according to this indicator, she is a real champion among artists! For comparison, the brilliant impressionist Vincent van Gogh painted himself only about 20 times.

Where is the property of Frida Kahlo now stored?

Today, in addition to the official English site, many of Frida's self-portraits that have survived can be seen at the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacan, Mexico. There is also an opportunity to get acquainted with the life and delve into the work of an original artist, since it was in this house that she spent most of her life. Museum staff do their best not to disturb the extravagant atmosphere that was created by this extraordinary woman.

Let's take a closer look at some self-portraits.

In the early 1930s, Frida Kahlo traveled to America with her husband. The artist did not like this country and was convinced that they live there solely for the sake of money.

Look at the picture. On the side of America - pipes, factories, equipment. Everything is shrouded in clouds of smoke. From Mexico, on the contrary, flowers, luminaries and ancient idols are visible. This is how the artist shows how dear she is to traditions and connection with nature and antiquity, which cannot be found in America. In order to stand out from the background of fashionable American women, Frida did not stop wearing national clothes and retained the features inherent in Mexican women.

In 1939, Frida paints one of her iconic self-portraits, Two Fridas, in which she exposes the wounds tormenting her soul. It is here that the very special, unique style of Frida Kahlo manifests itself. For many, this work is too frank and personal, but perhaps this is true power human personality- in not being afraid to admit and show their weaknesses?

Poliomyelitis, ridicule from peers, a severe accident that divided life into "before" and "after", a difficult love story ... Along with a self-portrait, another one appeared famous quote Frida Kahlo: "I am my soulmate, and my beloved tormentor Diego Rivera will not be able to break me."

Like most Mexicans, symbols and signs were of particular importance to Frida. Like her husband, Frida Kahlo was a communist and did not believe in God, but due to the fact that her mother was a Catholic, she was well versed in Christian symbolism.

So in this self-portrait, the image of the crown of thorns serves as a parallel with the crown of thorns of Jesus. Butterflies flutter over Frida's head - a well-known symbol of resurrection.

Frida paints a portrait in 1940 after her divorce from Diego Rivera, and therefore the monkey can be taken as an unambiguous allusion to the behavior of her ex-husband. On Frida's neck is a hummingbird - a symbol of good luck. Perhaps this is how the artist expresses hope for a speedy deliverance from torment?

The theme of this work is close to the "Broken Column" we have already considered. Here Frida again exposes her soul to the viewer, reflecting on the emotional and physical pain she is experiencing.

The artist depicts herself as a graceful deer, whose body is pierced by arrows. Why did you choose this particular animal? There are suggestions that the artist associated suffering and death with him.

During the period when the self-portrait is being created, Frida's health began to deteriorate rapidly. She developed gangrene, which required an early amputation. Every second of Frida's life brought her excruciating pain. Hence the motives of her latest self-portraits, so tragic and frightening in their doom.

Death taunt

Frida Kahlo passed away on July 13, 1954. Contemporaries have repeatedly spoken of her as a interesting woman And amazing person. Even brief introduction with the biography of Frida Kahlo leaves no doubt that fate has prepared for her a truly difficult life, full of suffering and pain. Despite this, Frida last days she loved life and, like a magnet, attracted people to her.

Her last painting is Viva la Vida. Sandias also expresses the challenge of death and the readiness to maintain fortitude to the end, which is clearly indicated by the words drawn in red paint: “Long live life!”.

Question for art critics

Many are convinced that Frida Kahlo is a surrealist artist. In fact, she herself was rather cool about this title. Frida's work, distinguished by its originality, is interpreted differently by everyone. Some believe that this naive art, others call folk art. And yet the scales lean towards surrealism. Why? We conclude with two arguments. Do you agree with them?

• The paintings of Frida Kahlo are unrealistic and are a figment of the imagination. It is impossible to reproduce them in the earthly dimension.
• Her self-portraits are strongly connected with the subconscious. If compared with the recognized genius of surrealism, Salvador Dali, then we can draw such an analogy. In his works, he played with the subconscious, as if walking around the land of dreams and shocking the audience. Frida, on the contrary, exposed her soul on the canvas, thereby attracting the viewer to herself and conquering the world of art.

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo (Spanish: Magdalena Carmen) Frida Kahlo y Calderun, July 6, 1907, Coyoacan - July 13, 1954, ibid) - Mexican artist. Frida Kahlo was born into a family of a German Jew and a Spaniard American descent. At the age of 6, she suffered polio, after the illness, lameness remained for life, and her right leg became thinner than her left (which Kahlo hid under long skirts all her life). So early experience struggle for the right to a full life tempered the character of Frida.

At the age of 15, she entered the "Preparatory" (National Preparatory School) with the aim of studying medicine. Of the 2,000 students in this school, there were only 35 girls. Frida immediately earned credibility by creating a closed group "Kachuchas" with eight other students. Her behavior was often called outrageous.

In the Preparatory, her first meeting took place with her future husband, the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera, who from 1921 to 1923 worked at the Preparatory School on the painting “Creation”.

At the age of 18, Frida was in a severe accident, the injuries from which included a fractured spine, a fractured collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, eleven fractures in her right leg, a crushed and dislocated right foot, and a dislocated shoulder. In addition, her stomach and uterus were pierced with a metal railing, which severely damaged her reproductive function. She was bedridden for a year, and health problems remained for life. Subsequently, Frida had to undergo several dozen operations, not leaving hospitals for months. She, despite her ardent desire, could not become a mother.

It was after the tragedy that she first asked her father for brushes and paints. A special stretcher was made for Frida, which allowed her to write lying down. A large mirror was attached under the canopy of the bed so that she could see herself. The first picture was a self-portrait, which forever determined the main direction of creativity: “I paint myself because I spend a lot of time alone and because I am the topic that I know best.”

In 1929, Frida Kahlo became the wife of Diego Rivera. The two artists were brought together not only by art, but also by common political beliefs - communist. Their stormy living together became a legend. In the 1930s Frida lived for some time in the USA, where her husband worked. This forced long stay abroad, in a developed industrial country, made the artist more acutely aware of national differences.

Since then, Frida has been especially fond of Mexican folk culture, collecting old works. applied arts, even in everyday life she wore national costumes.

A trip to Paris in 1939, where Frida became a sensation at a thematic exhibition of Mexican art (one of her paintings was even acquired by the Louvre), further developed the patriotic feeling.

In 1937, the Soviet revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky briefly took refuge in the house of Diego and Frida. It is believed that he was forced to leave them by too obvious passion for the temperamental Mexican.

“There were two accidents in my life: one was when the bus crashed into a tram, the other was Diego,” Frida liked to repeat. Rivera's last betrayal - adultery with her younger sister Christina - almost finished her off. In 1939 they divorced. Later, Diego confesses: “We were married for 13 years and always loved each other. Frida even learned to accept my infidelity, but could not understand why I choose those women who are unworthy of me, or those who are inferior to her ... She assumed that I was a vicious victim of my own desires. But it is a white lie to think that a divorce will end Frida's suffering. Will she not suffer further?"

Frida admired Andre Breton - he found her work worthy of his favorite brainchild - surrealism and tried to recruit Frida into the army of surrealists. Fascinated by the Mexican common life and skillful artisans, Breton organized the All Mexico exhibition after returning to Paris and invited Frida Kahlo to participate. Parisian snobs, fed up with their own inventions, visited the exhibition of handicrafts without much enthusiasm, but the image of Frida left a deep imprint in the memory of the bohemia. Marcel Duchamp, Wassily Kandinsky, Picabia, Tzara, surrealist poets and even Pablo Picasso, who gave a dinner in honor of Frida and presented her with one "surreal" earring - everyone appreciated the uniqueness and mystery of this person. And the famous Elsa Schiaparelli, a lover of everything unusual and shocking, was so carried away by her image that she created the Madame Rivera dress. But the hype did not mislead Frida about the place of her painting in the eyes of all these "sons of bitches." She did not allow Paris to adapt herself, she remained, as always, in "non-illusion".

Frida remained Frida, not succumbing to any lure of new trends or fashion trends. In her reality, only Diego is absolutely real. "Diego is everything, everything that lives in the minutes of non-hours, non-calendars and empty non-views, is he."

They remarried in 1940, a year after the divorce, and remained together until her death.

In the 1940s Frida's paintings appear in several notable exhibitions. At the same time, her health problems are getting worse. Medicines and drugs designed to reduce physical suffering change it. state of mind, which is clearly reflected in the Diary, which has become a cult among her fans.

Shortly before her death, her right leg was amputated, her torment turned into torture, but she found the strength to open her last exhibition in the spring of 1953. Shortly before the appointed hour, the audience heard the howl of sirens. It was on an ambulance, accompanied by an escort of motorcyclists, that the hero of the occasion arrived. From the hospital, after the operation. She was carried in on a stretcher and placed on a bed in the center of the hall. Frida joked, sang her favorite sentimental songs to the accompaniment of the Mariachi orchestra, smoked and drank, hoping that alcohol would help relieve the pain.

That unforgettable performance shocked photographers, reporters, fans, as well as the last posthumous performance on July 13, 1954, when crowds of fans came to the crematorium to say goodbye to her body, wrapped in the banner of the Mexican Communist Party.

Despite a life full of pain and suffering, Frida Kahlo had a lively and liberated extraversive nature, whose daily speech was littered with foul language. Being a tomboy (girl tomboy) in her youth, she did not lose her fervor in later years. Kahlo smoked heavily, drank alcohol in excess (especially tequila), was openly bisexual, sang obscene songs and told equally obscene jokes to the guests of her wild parties.

In the works of Frida Kahlo, the influence of Mexican folk art, the culture of the pre-Columbian civilizations of America is very strong. Her work is full of symbols and fetishes. However, the influence of European painting is also noticeable in it - in the early works, the passion of Frida, for example, Botticelli, was clearly manifested.

Bright colors - “papaya colors”, as the Frenchman Jean-Paul Gaultier called them, traditional Mexican ornament, a riot of flowers, parrots, monkeys and an endless summer filled with the sun - this is the work of Frida Kahlo for those who are not familiar with him too deeply. Without a doubt, the Mexican artist adored her native country, its culture and nature, but there is another layer in her work: heavy, creepy and frightening.

"Me and my parrots", 1941

Kahlo can be called the "Mexican Salvador Dali" in a long and puffy skirt - like her Spanish colleague, the artist often introduced elements of surrealism into her works. True, the "juicy" folk art and naivete obscured the surreal motifs in Frida's painting. So the artist herself tried to hide behind the sun of her native Mexico from the pain and horror that accompanied her all her life.

Still life, 1951

Lamefoot Riot

Frida Kahlo faced pain and injustice at the age of 6. At this age, the daughter of an immigrant photographer from Germany and a Mexican Indian origin had polio.

The disease disfigured the girl's body: one leg of Frida, temporarily paralyzed, became thinner and shorter. For the rest of her life, Kahlo limped and was forced to wear shoes with heels of different heights.

Children teased little Frida with a "wooden leg". To hide her peculiarity, the girl put on several stockings on her sore leg, trying to give her a normal look. Poliomyelitis was the first test of the character of the future artist. And she passed this test with brilliance, proving that her character, in contrast to her health, is iron.

Frida has been a rebel since childhood: she played football with the boys, went in for boxing and other sports. And when she turned 15, she entered the "Preparatory" - one of best schools Mexico, where there were only 35 girls for every 2,000 boys. And there, a young miniature limp instantly declared herself, putting together a private club "Kachuchas".

Frida Kahlo in a man's suit with her sisters and brother, 1925

At 18, when her sisters and cousins ​​wore fashionable dresses and hats, Frida dressed up in men's suit- for 1925 it was a serious challenge to society.

Catastrophe that shattered life

Lameness was not the only test for Frida. The most terrible tragedy happened to a girl on September 17, 1925. On this day, young Frida was riding in a bus with Alejandro, her friend and "fiance", as she jokingly called him. The bus driver was in such a hurry that, in the end, he lost control - and flew into the tram at high speed.

As a result of a terrible accident, Frida's entire body was broken. Three fractures of the spine, eleven fractures of the right leg, a triple fracture of the pelvis, multiple fractures of the ribs, a broken collarbone, a crushed foot and whole line dislocations - such was the result of the collision for the girl. In addition, the sharp metal part of the railing pierced right through her body, passing through her kidney and uterus. As a result of the tragedy, Frida was bedridden for two years and could never have children again.

Birth of an artist

No matter how nightmarish the drama that the girl got into was, it was largely thanks to her that not just a rebel, but an artist, was born. Lying in bed, 18-year-old Frida asked her father for the first time for canvas and paints. Dad, with whom the girl always had a warm relationship, designed a special stretcher for her daughter, which allowed her to draw while lying down.

In addition, a huge mirror hung over the bed of the novice artist - so that the patient could always see her reflection. So the first self-portraits appeared, which later became the main genre of her work. As the artist admitted, she knows herself better than anything else in this world.

"Two Fridas", 1939

“I paint myself because I spend a lot of time alone and because I am the subject that I know best,” - this is how Frida Kahlo explained her love for self-portraits.

sick passion

But the self-portraits of the great Mexican woman were not only classical. Often the artist painted herself "from the inside", and sometimes - in the very literally. A diseased kidney, pelvic bones, an embryo that will never become a born child - all this can be found on the most candid pictures Frida Kahlo.

Henry Ford Hospital, 1932

In addition to her portraits, the artist often painted only one person - her own husband. The famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera became, according to Frida herself, the “second tragedy” in her life after the tram accident.

Portrait of Diego Rivera

Rivera was 21 years older than Frida. Communist, rebel and womanizer, bright representative bohemia, who had wild success among women, despite his, to put it mildly, not very attractive appearance, Diego won the heart of a young girl at school. Barely recovering from her injuries, Frida went to her idol to show pictures. Two years later, the couple got married.

Despite any oaths of allegiance, Rivera continued to twist endless novels. He himself admitted that none of his mistresses was worth Frida - but he was not going to stop. Frida forgave everything, because she herself was not a saint. Her fleeting romance with Leon Trotsky, who stayed with the artists for several months and could not resist the bright Mexican, is widely known.

But one day something happened that Frida could not forgive her husband. Rivera cheated on her with her own younger sister Cristina. After that, the stunned artist filed for divorce.

However, later Diego and Frida got married again. True, the second marriage had certain features: at the request of Kahlo, intimacy was excluded, and the spouses themselves lived in different parts of the house.

Frida and Diego Rivera, 1931

Alcohol, drugs and world fame

Boxing, football and men's clothing were not the only "shocking" antics of Frida the rebel. The artist smoked like a locomotive and was very fond of drinking. Biographers claim that addiction to alcohol was the result of constant pain - the consequences of the accident - from which the Mexican could not escape. Her addiction to drugs is also indicated as the same reason.

In the house of Kahlo and Rivera, endless parties did not subside - all the world bohemia of that time flocked here. In the thirties, artists lived in the USA and France, and it was there, in Europe, that the name of Frida Kahlo received world fame. In 1939, the artist's paintings appeared at the Paris exhibition of Mexican art - and Frida from Mexico City immediately became an event in the art world.

Roots, 1943

True, in home country her first solo exhibition took place only a year before the death of the artist, in 1953. Then Kahlo was already bedridden - part of her leg was amputated. Despite this, the artist personally visited her exhibition. Frida joked and laughed to the last - including over her strange, broken fate.

Frida on the cover

IN modern world haute couture and fashion industry Frida Kahlo is a recognized, albeit extremely controversial, style icon. Not everyone knows that in 1937 the artist appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine - moreover, the entire issue was devoted entirely to her. The inscription on the cover of the iconic women's edition read: "Special women Latin America: Frida Kahlo's female power.

Vogue introduced the world to the great Mexican artist in the very image that everyone knows today. Luxurious headdress with flowers, which has become calling card artists, an embroidered dress with a long wide skirt, a Persian shawl, bright lipstick and heavy earrings - this is exactly what the French saw the “special woman” Frida Kahlo.

Frida Kahlo dresses

It is interesting, however, that the “folk dress”, in which the artist appeared for a fashion magazine, was invented and sewn by a designer from Paris. French fashion designer Elsa Schiaparrelli (in whose apprentice Givenchy himself once worked), inspired by Frida's style, created the Madame Rivera dress for her.

Selma Hayek as Frida Kahlo

In the new millennium new life» Frida Kahlo's style was obtained thanks to the film with Salma Hayek, as well as popular singer Lana del Rey, who appeared with a wreath of flowers "à la Frida" on her head. Many fans of the singer, not too burdened with knowledge of culture and art, decided that it was del Rey who introduced the floral headdress into fashion.

Lana del Rey

Photo: WordPress.com

Muse of Jean-Paul Gaultier

However, the artist's "classic" style is just the tip of the iceberg of her influence on fashion. A big fan of the artist's work is the French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. According to one version, Gauthier created the provocative outfit of the alien Lilu from the movie The Fifth Element, inspired by Kahlo's painting The Broken Column.

On this canvas, Madame Rivera depicted herself in an unfamiliar image - in the form of a crippled figure with a destroyed column inside, the integrity of which is supported only by a corset of stripes.

"Broken Column", 1944

The artist wore such a corset because of the consequences of an accident that cost her two years of immobility. Interestingly, in reality the corset was steel, but in the picture it seems to be made of soft fabric.

Photo: Vogue Germany, June 2014 (photographers Luigi Muren and Jango Henzi)

The image of Mila Jovovich in a Hollywood film is not the only thing that Gauthier created under the impression of the artist's work. In 1998, the cult designer released a whole collection of clothes dedicated to Frida Kahlo. Long skirts, trimmed with lace and tulle, jackets, Mexican shawls, bright colors, heavy necklaces and headdresses - all this is the legacy of the artist, which came back into fashion with light hand outrageous fashion designer.

Photo: CR Fashion Book, 2013 (photographer Anthony Maule)

In addition to Gaultier, the image of Kahlo was used by Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and other world-class fashion houses. Today, "Frida's style" is a clear sign of courage and good taste.

Margarita Zvyagintseva

Story Frida Kahlo is 2 big tragedy, 33 operations and 145 paintings.

Today, some people buy the works of the legendary artist for record amounts of money, while others scold them for their excessive cruelty. AiF.ru tells who she is - the most famous Mexican artist.

Frida Kahlo is working on the painting "The Two Fridas". Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Rebel

As a child, the legendary artist was given the nickname "Frida the wooden leg" by her peers - after suffering from polio at the age of 6, she forever remained lame. But a clear physical defect only tempered the character of the girl: Frida went in for boxing, swam a lot, played football and easily entered a prestigious school in Mexico to study medicine.

In the "Preparatory" (National preparatory school) lame Frida was one of 35 girls who were educated on a par with thousands of boys. But not only in this, Frida was not like typical Mexican girls: she always preferred to spend time in the company of men (which in those days was courageous), smoked a lot and positioned herself as an open bisexual.

"Little deer".

Martyr

The most terrible tragedy in Frida's life occurred when she was barely 18 years old. The girl suffered in a brutal accident: the bus, on which the future celebrity was traveling, collided with a tram. The result is a broken leg in eleven places, a triple fracture of the pelvis, a dislocation of the left shoulder, a fracture of the femoral neck and a triple fracture of the spine in the lumbar region. Thirty-two operations and two years of immobility in a plaster corset, but the worst thing is that Frida found out that now she will never be able to have children.

Just a couple of months after the accident, Frida wrote: "One thing is good: I'm starting to get used to suffering." The famous Mexican woman, until the end of her days, did not get rid of the excruciating pains that she tried to drown out with drugs and alcohol. And shortly before her death, which occurred only at the age of 47, she left a note: “I am happily waiting for the departure and hope to never return.”

"Broken Column".

artist

Most of Frida's paintings are self-portraits in which she never smiles - and this is not an accident. Bedridden girl persuaded her father photographer Guillermo Kahlo screw a special easel to the bed to draw while lying down, and nail a mirror to the wall opposite. For many months, Frida's world shrank to one room, and she became the main subject of study.

"Mirror! The executioner of my days, my nights... It studied my face, the slightest movements, the folds of the sheet, the outlines of the bright objects that surrounded me. For hours I could feel his gaze on me. I saw myself. Frida inside, Frida outside, Frida everywhere, Frida without end... And suddenly, under the power of this all-powerful mirror, a crazy desire came to me to paint...”, the artist recalled.

Shocking and instilling confidence in the almost limitless potential of man, Frida surprised her contemporaries. She was never afraid to expose her pain, suffering or horror, and she almost always framed her self-portraits with national symbols.

"Thinking about death".

Wife

“There were two tragedies in my life,” Frida said. “The first is a tram, the second is Diego.”

In the illustrious artist Diego Rivera Frida fell in love at school, which seriously frightened her family: he was twice as old and was known as a notorious womanizer. However, no one could stop the determined girl: at 22, she became the wife of a 43-year-old Mexican.

The marriage of Diego and Frida was jokingly called the union of an elephant and a dove ( famous artist was much taller and fatter than his wife). Diego was teased as the "toad prince", but no woman could resist his charm. Frida knew about her husband's many love affairs, but she could not forgive only one of them. When, after ten years of so-called married life, Diego cheated on Frida with her younger sister Christina She requested a divorce.

Just a year later, Diego again proposed to Frida, and the still loving artist set a condition: marriage without intimacy, life in different parts of the house, material independence from each other. Their family was never exemplary, the only thing that could improve the situation was not given to them - Frida became pregnant three times and experienced miscarriages three times.

Frida and Diego.

Communist

Frida was a communist. She joined the Mexican Communist Party back in 1928, and a year later she left it following the expelled Diego. Ten years later, still remaining true to her ideological convictions, the artist again entered its ranks.

In the house of the spouses on the bookshelves were read to the holes of the volume Marx, Lenin, work Stalin and journalism Grossman about the Great Patriotic war. Frida even had a short affair with a Soviet revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky who found refuge with Mexican artists. And shortly before her death, the communist began to work on a portrait of the leader of the Soviet people, which remained unfinished.

Frida in front of a portrait of Stalin.

“Sometimes I ask myself: were not my paintings more works of literature than painting? It was something like a diary, correspondence that I kept all my life ... My work is the most complete biography, which I was able to write, ”Frida left such an entry in her famous diary, which she kept for the last ten years of her life.

After the death of the artist, the diary came to the Mexican government and was under lock and key until 1995.

Legend

Frida's work became popular during her lifetime. in New York in 1938 with resounding success the first exhibition of works by the outrageous artist was held, but in her homeland the first exhibition of Frida's paintings took place only in 1953. By this time, the famous Mexican woman could no longer move independently, so she was brought to the opening day on a stretcher and laid in a pre-prepared bed in the center of the hall. Shortly before the exposure, due to gangrene, part of the right leg had to be amputated: “What are my legs when I have wings behind my back!” Frida wrote in her diary.