Frida Kahlo and the Mexican Revolution

Frida Kahlo and the Mexican Revolution

Although Frida Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907, she always claimed her birth date was three years later at the start of the Mexican Revolution. She was a unique individual that helped change the ideas of gender and modernity through her depictions of her indigenous culture with a combination of realism, symbolism, and surrealism. Often, Kahlo would paint or do what people had never seen or heard of before. She introduced a new kind of sexuality, for women and men to ponder. Specifically, her life was filled with discoveries and obstacles that most people refused to do or talk about. Undeniably, Kahlo crossed these boundaries and became an international icon because of it. Due to her strong personality, beliefs, and past experiences, she opened up several artistic doors that took emotion, passion, and sexuality to the next level. To put it briefly, Kahlo’s public portrayal of feelings and deep secrets separated her from the rest of society, making her one of the greatest revolutionaries of the time.

First, Kahlo’s childhood and adolescent life is vital to cover because it is the foundation and inspiration behind her later works. At the age of six, Kahlo contracted polio, which left her left leg appearing thinner than the other. Also, as if that were not traumatic enough, she witnessed violent fights in the streets of Mexico City, during the Revolution, a period of political, social and military conflict and turmoil. At school, she even joined a gang and fell in love with the leader, which was probably the first sign of rebellious behavior.

The most life-changing event that took place in her life happened in 1925 though. When Kahlo was riding a trolley car, a vehicle collided into it, leaving her with serious injures, including a broken spinal column, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, many fracture sin her lef, a crushed right foot, and a dislocated shoulder. Also, the iron hadrail of the trolley entered her abdomen and went through her uterus, damaging her reporductive capability. Although she eventually healed, she constantly relapsed and would have to go into operations. It was during her healing process and what must have felt like a never ending bed rest, that she begin to paint self-portraits portraying her physical pain and suffering through symbolism.

Her troubled marriage with Diego Rivera was also another personal experince that was publicly known. It all started when Rivera immediately took interest to her artistic talent and encouraged her to continue,