Frida Kahlo

Mini Bio: She was born and raised in a Mexico City outskirt July 6, 1907. She contracted polio at the age of 6 which caused one of her legs to be permanently thinner than the other. She was in a traffic accident that caused her lifelong health issues. After the accident, she was immobile for 3 months. During this time, she was productive and began painting. Her ailments and suffering were represented in her works of art. Another aspect of her life that she painted was her emotional marriage to artist Diego Rivera. There was about a 20 years age gap between the two of them and they got divorced then married once more. Her health problems finally caught up to her and she passed away July 13, 1954. Upon her death she wrote, “I hope the exit is joyful-and I hope to never return”.

The Suicide of Dorothy Hale

1938

Oil on masonite

60.4 x 48.6 cm

Background information: Dorothy Hale was an actress and show girl. When her husband was killed in an accident she couldn’t bear to live anymore and decided to take her own life. She threw herself out of a skyscraper window. This was a “retablo” that was to be painted by Kahlo. The painting itself is very gruesome. Frida paints 3 freeze frame snapshots of Hale’s suicide; initial jump, the fall and final bloody moment.

Commentary on work: “I could not have requested such a gory picture of my worst enemy, much less of my unfortunate friend…”

Relation to exhibition:The main focus of this painting is death and suffering. Kahlo seems to glamorize Hale’s suicide by making her look so flawless even when she is bloodied up. It is a strange way to pay respects to someone who has just committed suicide. I feel as though Kahlo created the piece as though Hale’s suicide was captured on film. Even in her lifeless face you can still see the pain and suffering in her eyes.