20th Century Death Portrayal in Art Essay

Frida Kahlo was a very talented Mexican artist that revolutionized art at a very young age. Her work is still idolized and celebrated today and is studied by many artists, institutes of higher education, museums, and fans. Kahlo was born in the town of Coyoacan, Mexico on July the sixth in the year of 1907 (Kettenmann 3). She made around 143 paintings, and out of those 143 paintings, 55 were self-portraits that included symbolism of her physical and emotion pain. Furthermore, in her portraits she used symbolism to express her wounds and sexuality. She use to say: “I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality” (Fuentes 41). Her paintings style include of vibrant colors and was heavily influenced

At a very early age she was starting to show signs of all the troubles that her life was going to bring onto her. “In 1913 at age 6, Frida was struck with Polio which made it difficult for her to use her right leg properly and it was left damaged” (Griffiths, 2014). This accident was one of the reasons why Frida began wearing long colorful skirts because she used them as a cover up for her deformed leg. “In the year of 1925, the year that Frida had just turned 18, she was injured in a near fatal street accident in which a bus collided with a tram” (Rogers, 2009), this accident caused her to break her pelvic bone and spinal column. It was cause of this accident that the doctors that were looking after her at the time of the accident were starting to question if she was going to be able to survive. This accident caused her to continue having back surgeries throughout her lifetime. This accident was also the reason why she started painting. Frida Kahlo once stated “I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.” This quote acknowledges how bizarre a lot of paintings that Frida Kahlo made were but to Frida Kahlo it was all reality, her life as well as accidents were real bizarre. “In the year of 1926 Frida Kahlo spends time at the hospital recovering from all her injuries at the time while at the Hospital she learns that she

Frida Kahlo one of the most known female artist and a feminist icon, was born July 6, 1907 in Mexico. She was the husband of the famous artist, Diego River. Kahlo was mostly known for her self-portraits. Kahlo was paralyzed, due to polio as a child, and suffered many surgeries throughout her life, which inspired many of her paintings. Most of Kahlo’s paintings were about herself and her feelings. Which, most of them were surrounded about herself and her disability. Frida was a surrealism painter, but also did other painting techniques. A surrealist or surrealism painter is to focus on the exploration of dreams and unconsciousness as a form of reality, Sigmund Freud’s writings inspired this. Also, to find the true nature and pure thoughts of

The theme death has always played a crucial role in literature. Death surrounds us and our everyday life, something that we must adapt and accept. Whether its on television or newpaper, you'll probobly hear about the death of an individual or even a group. Most people have their own ideas and attitude towards it, but many consider this to be a tragic event due to many reasons. For those who suffered greatly from despair, living their life miserably and hopelessly, it could actually be a relief to them. Death effects not only you, but also those around you, while some people may stay unaffected depending on how they perceive it.

Frida Kahlo was best known for her reflective self-portraits that defined the tragedies she'd endured. Explaining her affection for the style, Kahlo said, "I paint myself because I am so often alone, because I am the subject I know best.” Kahlo contracted Polio at the age of six which left her with a deformed foot, she was also Bed-bound while recovering from a grisly streetcar accident. Kahlo under went over 30 operations throughout her life; and over the years she painted a portrait of herself whenever she was troubled.

Frida Kahlo once said“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” There is no better person to say this than Kahlo, whose life was filled with pain and sadness. She was one of the most influential artists of her time, especially in the Mexican community.. The most important aspects of her life were her multicultural background, her tragic accident she survived as a teen, her relationship with Diego Rivera, her death, and her face as a product.

Painting was the artistic escape route for Kahlo’s mind and body. To occupy her mind after the more than 30 surgeries, she began to paint as part of her recovery process. Fifty-five of her one hundred and forty-three paintings were self-portraits. These paintings were purposely painted in a naïve way to show vulnerability (“A Tribute to Frida Kahlo”). A few of her most famous works include: “Self-Portrait Between Mexico and the United States, 1932”, “My Dress Hangs There, 1933”, and

Sadly what ended her career was a blood clot in her lungs. Before her death she has reached many success in her years. Such as, herself portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird’ because it showcased over 25 museums in the United States and also in countries like Australia, Canada, France, and Spain. In her early life she has had suffered terrible accidents (in the year 1925) that dealt with serious life ending tragedy. Frida has spent her whole life suffering with health problems.However was turned out to be lucky and live to continue her Art journey. After her accident, Kahlo abandoned the study of medicine and began to paint, to occupy herself during her three-month

Frida Kahlo is considered to be one of Mexico’s greatest artists. Frida Kahlo is mostly remembered for her self-portraits. She once said, “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.” Frida Kahlo had an exotic look that was captivating.

In Frida, a Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera, Frida Kahlo is a famous Mexican artist who didn’t find fame until near the end of her life. Herrera even says “The artist, dressed in her favorite Mexican costume, was carried on a hospital stretcher to her four-post bed, which had been installed in the gallery that afternoon”(33). The quote it self shows how much Frida valued her art that she would go see it in a gallery even on near death. She implemented her views into her horrific and dramatic art. Herrera the goes on to say “What passed through Frida Kahlo’s head and into her art was some of the most original and dramatic imagery of the twentieth century”(34).

Frida Kahlo's influence still lingers around the world. Even with Frida dead for almost two decades, she is still celebrated and thought of as an idol. Frida Kahlo was an artist in many different ways. Besides Frida's incredible talent to paint surrealist thoughts and emotions on canvas, she also was and artist in her mind and body. Frida's attire of traditional Mexican clothing, which consisted of long, colorful dresses and exotic jewelry, and her thick connection eyebrows, became her trademark. To the public, Frida Kahlo appeared to be full of spirit and joy. She walked through life happily, with a smile glued to her face. However, her feelings of anguish, anger, unhappiness of her painful miscarriages, and

Because of her experiences with infertility, many of her paintings reference reproductive failure and never being able to be a mother. Kahlo created at least one hundred paintings along with lots of drawings and studies. Fifty five are self-portraits which often incorporate symbolic portrayals of physical and psychological wounds she had sustained previously. Kahlo wasn’t a dream painter it was just her own reality she faced. Frida was taken her artistic skills to her m’exicano culture. Drawing herself with a horrific, broken and damaged life for people to see her meaning of her art. Frida presented anguish and distinct visuals of herself by wearing peasant clothing and red eyes. As a young artist she met another artist, this older mans name was Diego Rivera. Diego had a great influence on Kahlo's painting style and wanted to see more of her artistic skills. Kahlo had always admired Rivera in a lust way and enjoyed him as an artist. She showed him four of her paintings, and his opinion on rather he thought they were good or not. The encouraging and outstanding comments made by older Rivera strengthened Kahlo's wish to pursue a career as an

4. Frida Kahlo essentially became an international cultural icon, honored by many people, especially in Mexico. Her artwork withholds visual symbolism of all kinds of emotional and physical pain and most importantly she incorporated indigenous culture and her depiction of the female experience. Including illustrating the feelings of death, loneliness, pain, including the pain of miscarriages, failed marriage, and the aftermath of tragic accidents. Through her imagery, she was able to portray her life experiences. She would include specific elements that symbolized something greater. Throughout the process of analyzing all different aspects of Frida Kahlo’s paintings, it provided a deeper understanding to each painting.

Frida Kahlo’s “The Two Fridas” is a manifestation of heartbreak, inner human pain, rejection of colonialism, and emotional journey. An oil on canvas made in 1939 in the midst of Frida Kahlo’s divorce from Diego Rivera, this painting embodied Frida Kahlo’s progression at this time in her life, dealing with what she is and what she wishes to be; as well as setting out how she wishes to do it. An ode to melancholy and overcoming adversity, “The Two Fridas” is a universal, eternal reminder of human capability.

Death is inevitable to all forms of life. In giving birth to a typical family, Flannery O’Connor immediately sets the tone for their deaths, in the story, A Good Man is Hard To Find. O'Connor’s play on words, symbolism and foreshadowing slowly paves the way for the family’s death.