Frida Kahlo would have ‘traumatized’ Diego Rivera‘s daughter in such a way that the young woman preferred to stay away from her father, rather than continue living with them in the Casa Azul.
The Mexican artists’ relationship was one of the most intense, controversial, and well-known in history, but before the painter (and even with her) the muralist was with other women. Among his many romances, Guadalupe Marin Preciado, better known as Lupe Marin, was one of the pioneers of feminism in Mexico, with whom he had two daughters: Guadalupe and Ruth Rivera Marin.
Diego Rivera’s Daughters
The eldest, whom her father called ‘Pico,’ was influenced by the ideology of the muralist and dedicated herself to history and politics and occupied various positions as a public servant. The youngest was an architect and became the first woman to enter the School of Engineering and Architecture of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN). She dedicated herself to teaching and ventured into various areas of art such as literature, theater, and dance.
Little is known about her life, as they preferred to keep themselves away from the spotlight and the art world, although one of them lived with Diego and Frida in the famous Casa Azul, in Coyacán, Mexico City.
Why Diego Rivera’s Daughter Left Casa Azul
At first, the little girl was very happy to be in a home with her father; in fact, she even admired Frida Kahlo. She became interested in the Mexican painter’s passions in politics, diversity, and sociology, even spending a great deal of her time in the library that Kahlo had adapted in her home. Despite the comforts she had, there was something about Frida that compelled her to leave Casa Azul, no matter that it meant being away from her father.
Diego Rivera’s daughter revealed in one of her last interviews that the painter’s sexual preferences and the atmosphere in that place made her uncomfortable. She told her father, but he could do nothing about it since it was Frida’s house, so she decided to leave Casa Azul.
“When I came to live with Frida, I saw that she had a library (…) Frida was very educated; she could speak four languages. A book by Freud caught my attention, and from then on, I started to do more research. Later I realized that Frida surrounded herself with people I didn’t like, who were homosexual, I didn’t like the atmosphere in that house,” she said.
Maybe, Diego Rivera’s daughter was a woman of her time, but what is true is that it is precisely, Frida’s freedom and rebellious soul that has captivated the world for decades!
Story written in Spanish by Nayeli Párraga in Cultura Colectiva