The Two Fridas Analysis

Frida Kahlo once said, “I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.” Kahlo’s works of art was a reflection of her life; it was heavily impacted by traumatic physical and psychological events from childhood up to early adulthood. Apart from these events, Kahlo’s rich and mixed ancestry - German and Mexican - provided her a source for her subject matter. Kahlo’s work often fell in the Surrealist category, though, Kahlo was never considered to be a Surrealist artist. Kahlo’s paintings were not based upon dreams or the subconscious; rather it was more of an autobiography. Kahlo’s paintings portray her suffering and pain throughout her life resulting it containing powerful messages within.

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican, self-taught

artist known for her many self-portraits and marriage to Diego Rivera, in which they married twice - August 21, 1929 and December 8, 1940. On July 6, 1907 in Coyoacan, Mexico Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon was born. Kahlo was born in La Casa Azul, The Blue House. Kahlo’s father was Carl Wilhelm Kahlo (1871-1941) from Pforzheim, Germany and her mother was Matilde Calderon y Gonzalez, a mixed of Spanish and native Mexican ancestry. Kahlo had a loving relationship with her father, however, she had an unhealthy relationship with her mother; many would describe as dictatorial and depressive. Kahlo had three other sisters - two were older half-sisters. On September 17, 1925 Kahlo was in a bus accident resulting in permanent damage that prevented Kahlo from having a child. During three months of immobilization Kahlo began to paint. Many of her painting consisted of self-portraits. The bus accident resulted in many of her paintings referencing to reproduction failure. Kahlo faced traumatic and painful events throughout her life in which inspired her paintings.
To begin with, over Kahlo’s life span she created many self-portraits.

One such painting is called, “The Two Fridas. “ The Two Fridas is an oil painting in which represents a double self portrait of Kahlo. This painting is created in 1939 during the Naïve art time period -- a classification of art characterized by childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. The painting is 567 inches by 567 inches. The painting depicts two self-portraits of Frida Kahlo that show close similarity. However, on the right, Frida Kahlo wears a white, European style dress, whereas Frida is wearing a traditional Mexican Tehuana dress. Both Fridas sit on a bench during a stormy day. Looking closer, a single vein connects the two Fridas’ exposed hearts with the locket of Rivera on the right. Frida, on the left, holds a pair of scissors attempting to cut the vein connecting to the locket; instead blood drips onto her white dress. Her heart is shown as broken. Frida, on the right, holds a locket with an image of Diego Rivera in which a vein connects it to both Frida's’ heart. According to the attire, the time period would be around the 1900s. Kahlo uses implied lines to depict the veins connecting the two Fridas together, as well as, the different values of black in order to symbolize the stormy, sky. Although, both Fridas appear to be sorrowful, Kahlo uses color to depict that she is happier when she is home in Mexico and embraces who she is. As you see in the painting, on the

right, Frida wears a dull, white colored dress, whereas on the left, Frida wears a beautiful blue, green, and yellow dress symbolizing her happiness she has back home. Kahlo uses more cool colors than warm colors. The painting of the two Fridas is more horizontal; however the painting does not appear to have much texture. Kahlo is able to use the entire space in order to depict her loneliness and sadness throughout the painting.
Next, Kahlo uses art principles and elements in her painting in order to get across the meaning of the painting. For instance, Kahlo uses symmetrical balance to illustrate two self-portraits in which are identical in face and body, but not in the clothing. Kahlo does this to depict the sadness and pain within her. According to the painting, the two Fridas sit on the bench demonstrating that there is no movement; however, in the background Kahlo uses different values of black in order to symbolize the stormy sky and illustrate movement. Kahlo adds emphasis on the two Fridas’ hearts in order to represent Kahlo’s sadness due to the separation of herself and Rivera versus when Rivera and Kahlo were in a loving relationship. The right illustrates Kahlo’s heart as broken whereas on the left Kahlo’s heart is whole. Kahlo uses a variety of different shades of black in order to show the gloomy sky resembling Kahlo’s heartbreak. Kahlo’s use of the art elements helps to illustrate Kahlo’s unhappiness and melancholy spirit.
Furthermore, many of Frida Kahlo’s paintings has an significant meaning, for instance, The Two Fridas, is symbolic because during the time of this painting - 1939 - Kahlo and Rivera divorced leaving Kahlo in a tremendous amount of pain. Along with the divorce, it symbolizes Kahlo’s transition to her newly established identity afterward. In the painting, represents two self-portraits of Kahlo. As you know, on the right Kahlo wears a traditional Tehuana dress while holding a locket with an image of Diego Rivera. This is symbolic because this is the part of Kahlo in which Rivera respected and loved. However, on the right shows Kahlo in European attire with a broken heart; this symbolizes Rivera abandoning Kahlo. Both Fridas’ hearts are exposed showing a broken heart and a whole heart. Kahlo often uses the heart as an device to represent her emotional state. A vein connects the two hearts with the locket of Rivera; the unloved Frida cuts the vein with a pair of scissors in an attempt to isolate herself from Rivera, instead blood drips onto the white dress. Due to this, Kahlo’s life is endangered because she is slowly bleeding to death. The background shows a stormy sky symbolizing Kahlo’s inner violence. Both Fridas hold hands’ symbolizing her only companion is herself. Kahlo titled the painting The Two Fridas because the painting directly portrays two self-portraits of Frida Kahlo. Kahlo creates an melancholy and agonizing mood, by using monochromatic colors (black) in the background. The mood is also created by the use of dialogue between the two Fridas using the setting, body language, and colors.
Lastly, I believe Kahlo’s piece is effective because it conveys a meaning many people are able to interpret and uses art elements and principles in order to create the melancholy mood.

The painting is successful because it conveys a specific mood and meaning by containing the use of monochromatic colors (black) illustrating the sorrowful mood of the painting. The vein connecting the two hearts with the locket and the unloved Kahlo attempting to cut the vein demonstrates the pain Kahlo feels and her yearning to disconnect from Rivera. The painting had a lasting impression on me because it shows that no matter what a person looks like on the outside we will never know how a person feels emotionally or even physically

inside.
In conclusion, on July 13, 1954 Frida Kahlo died at the age of 47 years. Over Kahlo’s lifetime she created about 143 paintings and 55 of those were self-portraits of her. Kahlo’s work often always incorporated similar portrayals of the traumatic and psychological events that occurred during her life. Kahlo always insisted she never paints her dreams, instead she paints her reality.