Frida Kahlo was an acknowledged Mexican artist, actually one of Mexico’s best. She is remembered for her phenomenal work, specializing in self-portraits with her bold color choices. She is celebrated in Mexico as she brought attention towards the Mexican culture throughout her artworks, and also for her representation of feminism. One of Frida’s most famous portraits is “The Broken Column”, which redefined the nature of art and signified her as a strong artist.
“The Broken Column” was painted in 1944. In this painting she has shown herself naked and split down the middle. At the age of eighteen, Frida was involved in a violent bus accident and after this incident her life consisted of chronic pain and health problems. She required many surgeries, including a spine surgery, in total she has around 30 surgeries. “The Broken Colum” was painted shortly after her spine surgery, and she shows herself constrained by a body brace. Kahlo has a huge amount of missing flesh from her body, exposing a broken column in place of her spine. The column is on the verge of collapsing into rubble. Metal nails pierce Kahlo’s face, breasts, arms, and torso, as well as her upper thigh and tears stream down her face.
Many artists provide different interpretations of art, and Frida has a very unique view towards it. During the time in Frida’s world, it was unpleasant due to her medical conditions as explained above. Considering that Mexico was a part of World War II, she may have had some difficulties, but it was a minor ally meaning that is wouldn’t have majorly impacted her at the time. The audience had mixed reactions towards this artwork. For some viewers this image goes too far, into melodrama and may be inappropriate to some. But for others who have given themself over to Kahlo, they’re beyond impressed and have given her permission to write her own rules. She is a strong woman and deserves to be praised for her beautiful paintings. Not only do her painting look good, they also have meaning to them and go deep into her past. “The Broken Column” can be viewed today at the Museo Dolores Olmedo in Xochimilcan, Mexico City, Mexico. As with many of her self-portraits, pain and suffering is the focus of the work, though unlike many of her other works, which include parrots, dogs, monkeys and other people, in this painting, Kahlo is alone.
There are many signs and symbols in this painting which portray Frida’s emotions while painting it. These include the tears painted on her face and the metal nails pierced into her, as mentioned before. This intensifies the effect of the painting itself, as the artist is shown without clothes, making it intimidating. These features create a sense of fear/pain for the audience and give us a little glimpse of her world and the pain she was going through with the back brace on. As she suffered through 30 surgeries and was always sick, this painting is a representation of her pain. It is also a motivation to other women and even men! Even Kahlo had an inspiration in her life. One of the primary influences on her work was that of Diego Rivera, whose encouragement and recognition of her talent was possibly the main reason why she chose to pursuit her life as an artist.
Therefore, Frida Kahlo has redefined the nature of art in various ways, significantly in her famous portrait “The Broken Column”, as she portrays her painful emotions in it. She is a huge inspiration to many young artists and has also played a big role in encouraging feminism. Her use of bright colors and dramatic symbolism helps her stand out in and makes her unique. She is a incredibly strong woman and deserves to be praised even more than she already is!
- Artist: Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907–1954)
- Region: Mesoamerica, Central America, and the Caribbean
- Date: 1944
- Period: 1900 CE - 2010 CE
- Material: Oil on Masonite
- Medium: Painting
- Dimensions: H: 15 11/16 in. (39.8 cm), W: 121/16 in. (30.6 cm)
- Fridakahlo.org. (2019). Frida Kahlo: 100 Famous Paintings, Complete Works, & Biography. [online] retrieved from: https://www.fridakahlo.org/
- Frida Kahlo Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fridakahlo.org/frida-kahlo-biography.jsp.
- World Art. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.learner.org/courses/globalart/work/57/index.html.
- The Conceptual Framework. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://artsmartstudents.blogspot.com/p/conceptual-framework.html.
- Cotter, H. (2008, February 29). The People's Artist, Herself a Work of Art. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/arts/design/29kahl.html.
- Biography of Frida Kahlo. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/biography.html.
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Critical Analysis of “The Broken Column” by Frida Kahlo.
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