Itzucintli Dog With Me Essay

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter who did self-portraits and was considered a feminist icon. She is one of the most important female artists of the twentieth century. She originally wanted to become a doctor, but a bus accident left her unable to do so. I chose this artist because she had one eyebrow and I thought it was strange for a rich woman to have such a statement in the early 1900s. I thought to myself, she must be an interesting person and I was right. She didn't have any formal training but she developed her artistic skills and later would influence people and culture. The painting is called, Itzucintli Dog with Me and it is one of my favorites. Itzucintli Dog with Me is a self-portrait, painted in 1938. It was painted using oils

Popular in Mexico, they are revered for the calm and loyal personality. They were thought to have healing properties and have a connection to the spirit world. Itzcuintli dogs are also used as comforters and healers. Frida and her husband had several Itzcuintli dogs living with them in their home. Of all the animals they had as pets, Itzcuintlis was one of Frida’s favorites. Frida has several paintings of her animals. She is usually holding them, or they are sitting on her lap or shoulders. The dog in the picture, however, is not being held like in the previous paintings, nor is being treated like a favorite. Instead, it is on the floor and distant from Frida. Frida had previously suffered a miscarriage and an abortion. She probably bought so many dogs because she wanted to use them to connect to the “spirit world” and speak to her dead children. Or maybe, she wanted the dogs to heal her body so she could bear children. Either way, it is strange to see her being so distant to her animals. I imagine that Frida was going through a difficult mood as she was paining Itzcuintlis Dog with Me. The word “with” is more personal than the word “and” For example, Itzcuintlis Dog with Me means that even though she is physically away from her dog, it is with her. Itzcuintlis Dog and Me is more formal as if they are merely acquaintances and not kindred spirits. Looking at this painting, you would have never guessed that she suffered so much in her lifetime. The only form of therapy she had was being creative expressing herself through her paintings. She was self-taught and expressed herself through her art. Her art tells a story about a woman who’s been through so much pain and depression but still managed to pick herself up and keep going. Frida was one of few women who stood up for herself in a world dominated by men. More than half a century later, her art is