The Two Fridas by Frida Kahlo, is a complicated painting exploring the artist’s identity. At first glance the painting disgusted me, as I was unable to understand its deeper meaning.
As I pondered and researched over it more, it made more sense to me. I found out that this painting was painted at a time of great sadness for Frida, when she had just divorced her husband, Diego Rivera.
You see two Fridas in the painting, both almost identical. One of them is wearing European clothes of a previous century, while the other is dressed in traditional Mexican attire.
The European Frida’s bodice is torn apart to reveal a broken heart, while the Mexican Frida’s heart, although showing, is whole. Frida seems to be suggesting that Rivera only loved the Mexican part of her.
Both the Fridas are connected by a single vein, which along with the fact that they are holding hands, symbolizes the fact that Frida’s best friend is herself, and she knows herself more than anyone else does.
The surgical pincers that the unwanted Frida holds tries to cut off the shared blood flow between them, but it keeps dripping down her skirt. She is also trying to cut of her relationship and memories with Diego.
The blood dripping down her white dress shows us her pain, at all her miscarriages and abortions. It also symbolizes the physical pain she feels with her divorce.
The Mexican Frida holds a miniature portrait of Diego in her hand, showing how much she loved him. A long red vein is connected to the picture, symbolizing an umbilical cord, which tells us that Kahlo thought of Diego as not only a husband, but as a child, which probably doubled the pain of his loss.
The dark stormy skies show us Frida’s mood. She feels angry, sad, and heartbroken. I also noticed that although both of the Fridas look upset and slightly angry, I noticed that the European Frida’s expression looks slightly sadder than the Mexican Frida.
Although the painting is sad, the colors of this painting are not all gloomy. The Mexican Frida is wearing a bright blue blouse that really grabbed my attention, and the European Frida is wearing a white dress.
This painting as well as being painted with style and talent, represents the artists feelings, and what she was going through. The same way people pour their hearts out to their diaries; Frida poured hers out onto paintings…
You can find the painting here: http://staff.potsdam.k12.ny.us/~abenton/frida/Fridawebquests/FRIDAPICS/kahlo_two_fridas.jpg
Source:
www.brainpop.com