Frida Kahlo is one of the most renowned characters, both in the art world and general culture. We know that she is a representative icon of Mexico, an artist who brought color, authenticity, diversity in art, and, above all, much more liberal ideas.
Frida Kahlo made a name for herself, she was not Diego Rivera‘s wife, on the contrary, nowadays Diego is Frida’s husband. She was a born artist, with a unique style and perspective.
Frida was a medical student, who, due to a terrible accident in a tram, had to stay in bed for months and months without moving. She had an enormous amount of fractures and injuries all over her body, forcing her to learn how to paint from her bed.
Her relatives placed a mirror on the ceiling so that Frida could see her reflection and paint herself. She had to undergo approximately 33 surgeries to return to a normal life after the accident that left her almost paraplegic. However, she pulled through and began her artistic career.
A False Feminist?
Frida isn’t only considered an art icon but also a symbol of women’s liberation, although a bit contradictory in her ideas. Yes, she was an exponent of feminine art and, above all, the support among women. But also in her public life, she was always overshadowed and humiliated by her partner of many years whom we all know, the famous painter, Diego Rivera.
Although, on the one hand, they have always been an example of an artistic and historical couple, they both lived a history of chaos and constant humiliation of self-esteem. Constantly allowing infidelities, beatings, cheating, among many other things.
Many of Frida’s paintings are dreams or visions she had of herself, which is why we can repeatedly see her lack of confidence and little self-esteem that she had, but through different colors and figures, it is quite well disguised as artistic.
The problem is not the artist, but romanticizing a story that was not at all pleasant, starting by mentioning that Diego Rivera constantly cheated on Frida with his models, and it was well known that he was intimate with them in his own home.
Frida’s reaction was simply doing the same on him with other men as well. As it is constantly highlighted, Leon Trotsky was given asylum in Frida and Diego’s house, but it was an open secret that she maintained an intimate relationship with him.
The main problem with this couple is that for years they have been seen as if they were a beautiful couple and an example to follow, but they are not. Idealizing a relationship that we never knew in depth only makes us believe that it is perfect.
Frida always showed a vulnerable but mysterious side in her paintings, although always on the side of low self-esteem and being constantly manipulated by her partner, who was many years ahead of her and who told her that it was normal for him to cheat on her.
Frida sadly accepted that kind of treatment, but it is known that it was not a clean and innocent love story that she captured in her paintings. Her being unfaithful to Diego wasn’t a sign of rebelliousness and female empowerment but a sad attempt to gain her husband’s attention.
More on Frida:
The Forgotten Lover Of Diego Rivera Who Surpassed Frida Kahlo
