Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection
Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, & Mexican Modernism
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were Mexican artists who lived and worked during an especially important time for their country: the decades following the end of the Mexican Revolution in 1920.
Revolutionaries fought for political change—to end the rule of dictators and establish a constitutional republic. They also fought for social change to reduce the great inequality between rich and poor.
They sought to protect workers’ rights and to redistribute land from wealthy landowners to peasants and Indigenous people.
Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and their friends created art that expressed the ideals of the revolution and reimagined what it meant to be Mexican.
They looked to the many Indigenous peoples whose histories began long before the Spanish colonization of Mexico in the 1500s. And they looked to the vibrant, urban life around them in Mexico City, finding inspiration in everyday life. Their art pictured mexicanidad (meh-hee-cah-nee-dad)—a populist political identity that celebrated Mexico’s Indigenous cultures and traditions as the foundation for the new modern nation.
As you walk through the exhibition, find the artworks featured in this guide, read the prompts, and take some time to respond to them. Feel free to sit on the sofas or the floor to make yourself comfortable.
The longer you look, the more you’ll see. We are glad you are here!
Art and Revolution
This painting by Diego Rivera embodies the ideals of the Mexican Revolution. The women wear traditional, Indigenous clothing, the quexquémitl (kesh-kay-mee-till), a kind of poncho. The calla lily blossoms suggest purity, innocence, and the bounty of the earth.
Calla Lily Vendor 1943 by Diego Rivera
Artwork Description: Two Indigenous Mexican women with brown skin and long dark hair separated into two braids and connected in the middle of their backs sit on their knees, their bare feet tucked underneath them with their arms around a large basket of about 60 bright white calla lilies with yellow centers and thin dark green stems. The woman on the left wears a long black skirt with a white border along the waist and a tan huipil with a bottom border of red and white vertical stripes. The woman on the right wears a long black skirt and a tan huipil with a white and red striped border and then large white tassels hanging from the edge. A figure hides behind the other side of the calla lily basket with only a brown hat visible. The background is black and the flowers are in a brown and tan woven basket with burnt orange fabric tied around the basket.
Activity 1: How would you describe the people in this painting? In what ways does the painting honor them? Draw a detail from the painting in the box to the left.
Activity 2: Search for these details in the exhibition. Circle each item below when you find them in the artwork. Add color to these details at home.
- Tall thick cactus stem with prickly spines along the edges.
- Olmec Figurine – a short figure with a round belly, bare feet, and an elongated bald head.
- Sunflower blossom facing downward to the left with a dark center and layered petals that come to a point.
- Small bird facing to the left with a small sharp beak, wings tucked in, rounded tail, and small feet.
- Head of a horse that is facing to the left and wearing a bridle. It’s nose points downward and it has a wavy mane.
- A simple trumpet that doesn’t have any valves.
- Traditional Mexican women’s shirt. It has a square neckline and has detailed embroidery on the collar and sleeves.
- Owl facing to the right as if sitting on a stand with its right wing gently resting against its tail.
The Land
Mexican artists depicted the land as a shared place of unique beauty and an important basis for national identity. How do these paintings by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera show the importance of nature and the land?
Frida Kahlo often wore a huipil (wee-peel), a traditional blouse worn by Indigenous women. The red symbol on her huipil resembles the glyph “Ollin,” meaning earthquake or perpetual movement in Nhuatl, a widely spoken Indigenous language. Monkeys are often represented in ancient Mexican art.
The cactus has special importance in Mexican culture. The Aztecs believed that god told their ancestors to build their capital city in the place where an eagle, devouring a snake, sat on top of a cactus. The cactus and eagle were featured in Aztec art and have appeared on the national flag since Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821.
Self-Portrait with Monkeys 1943 by Frida Kahlo
Artwork Description: Frida is pictured from the waist up in front of a jungle background of large grayish green leaves. Four black monkeys share the scene. A bird of paradise flower with bright orange, blue, and grayish-green petals is behind her and to her right. Her face is turned toward her left so that only her right ear shows. She is looking slightly toward her right. Her eyes are brown with black pupils. Heavy black eyebrows curve at her brow line. They meet at the center in a tiny peak. The brows are thinner and lighter at the center. Her nose slopes gently to a rounded end. There is a thin tracing of a mustache above full red lips that show a neutral expression. Her black hair is pulled back tightly with a part in the middle. It appears to be wound in loose coils behind her head. A thick rope of hair or perhaps a wide band decorates the crown of her head. The brightest part of the flower begins beside her coiled hair and curves up to end just above and behind the top of her head. She is wearing a white blouse with short sleeves. The neckline is heart shaped and trimmed with red braid. The point ends just above her breasts. A straight piece of braid with a short tassel facing her left arm is at the point. Below this, a thin piece of red braid outlines a white rectangle. In the rectangle is a design of a four petaled red flower with a white center. There are red lines from each petal to the nearest corner of the rectangle. The four monkeys are all black with bright round black eyes. The eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouths are all trimmed with light gray fur. Two of the monkeys are behind leaves so that mainly their faces are showing. One is behind and slightly above her right shoulder with its right hand hanging over the top of a leaf. Its mouth is in a perfect “O” shape. The other is above, behind, and to the left of Frida. Its mouth is in a straight line in a slight frown shape. The other two monkeys are closer and show their white fronts. Both have mouths that are set in a straight line. One is immediately behind Frida on her left side with its head at the level of her cheek. Its right arm is hidden behind her back, its left arm is hanging over her left shoulder, and its tail is coiled around her left upper arm. The closest monkey is sitting on Frida’s right forearm. Its bottom is near her elbow with its feet near her wrist. Its tail hangs over her arm and disappears outside the bottom picture frame. Its left arm is around her neck and the right hand is touching the design on her blouse. This seated monkey has smooth hair while the other three have hair that sticks up to form a short point at the top of their heads. All are facing straight ahead except for the seated one which is looking to its left.
Artists around the world reflect on and help to define their countries’ identities, just as these Mexican modernist artists did. Think of a work of art, book, song, or movie that expresses your idea of “American-ness”. What words come to your mind when you think about what it means to be from the United States today?
Landscape with Cacti 1931 by Diego Rivera
Desert landscape with three large cacti in the foreground and seven in the background at the top and back of the hill. The ground is flat with green, orange, yellow, and brown colors mixed together. On the left is a large cactus with a larger base. Its shadow extends out to the right. Just past its shadow is another large cactus with rounded bent arms and two additional portions protruding from the chest. Its shadow also extends to the right and runs off the canvas. Situated behind and between the first two is a third cactus. Its right arm is bent and held upward and left one curved and held downward. In the far distance is the horizon of the hill. On the left side is a cactus with a tall center stalk and five arms that are curved downward near the base of the stalk. On the right side there are three larger cacti on the horizon with arms that stretch upward and three that are smaller and only partially visible. The sky above is a green color that almost glows.
Activity: How many cacti can you find int he art in this exhibition? What qualities do you associate with the cactus? Sketch a cactus here.
Spirit of the People
When you walked into the Museum today, did you see artists creating large paintings in the central courtyard? Depending on when you visit, the artists might be just beginning a painting, or midway through, or maybe they’ve already completed it.
These Portland Latinx artists are participating in the great tradition of muralism. One hundred years ago, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and other Mexican artists created large-scale, public paintings called murals that conveyed their understanding of what it meant to be Mexican and their political ideals.
These prints by Orozco show details from some of his murals representing scenes from the Mexican Revolution.
The Zapatistas were peasants and Indigenous people from the Mexican state of Morelos who fought during the revolution. They are named for their leader Emiliano Zapato. Their slogan was “Land and Liberty!”
Women known as soldaderas fought in the Mexican Revolution. They also supported male soldiers by cooking meals and taking care of the wounded.
Zapatistas (Generals) 1935 by José Clemente Orozco
Artwork Description: Black and white lithograph showing a sea of Indigenous soldiers wearing black suits, white shirts, dark ties, and large dark sombreros. Faces are only visible on the first twenty generals. They have tired, serious expressions, most with their eyes closed. Most walk closely in a large group, but three are sitting on a rock on the top left. There are several hashed lines that make out the shapes. The General in the front has a symbol on his sombrero and the General to his right has his head turned revealing a sash of bullets.
La Revolución (The Revolution) 1929 by José Clemente Orozco
Artwork Description: Three women soldaderas caring for four male soldiers. In the foreground one soldier with dark clothing squats on his right foot with his left leg extended behind him. His left arm hangs straight and his right arm holds the end of a rifle. A woman wearing a long light colored dress with a fabric wrap around her neck. She leans over the man, holding him under the arm pit with her left arm. Another woman stands behind her also wearing a long white dress with a hat. She has a mat rolled up hanging on her back and a sash of bullets across her shoulder. In front of her is the riffle of the soldier she is helping. A third woman who also wears a long white dress walks in the background, carrying a large fabric wrap with items in it. Two male soldiers stand to her right. In the distance there is a black wall that meets up with a staircase on the right.
La Retaguardia (Rear Guard) 1929 by José Clemente Orozco.
Artwork Description: Lithograph depicting a mass of soldiers, both male and female, walk away from the viewer towards a cloudy or dusty sky. The men have on white pants and the women long white dresses. The men wear large light colored sombraros and the women wear dark colored sashes, some of which are carrying objects or children. The men carry riffles on their shoulders, the tips of which are visible between the sea of hats. The woman on the far left carries a small child with a white shirt and a sombro on her shoulders. The woman behind her in the middle of the work wears a black sash that carries an infant with a white outfit and bonnet on her back.
Activity: What stands out to you in these pictures? When you hear the word revolution, what do you think of? How do Orozco’s images relate to your ideas of revolution? Write three sentences on how they’re similar or different.
Spectacular Life
Artists explored mexicanidad, what it meant to be Mexican, through representations of everyday life in the city and in the countryside. Photographer Lola Álvarez Bravo depicted outdoor activities, such as festivals and carnivals, while the painter María Izquierdo drew attention to the beauty of traditional clothing. Here, she portrays a bride from Papantla, a region in the state of Veracruz, who wears a white quexquémitl, or shawl.
“I know now that he who hopes to be universal in his art must plant in his own soil . . . the secret of my best work is that it is Mexican.” – Diego Rivera
Bride from Papantla (Portrait of Rosalba Portes Gil) 1944 by María Izquierdo
Artwork Description: A woman in a white dress and veil is sitting in a meadow on a high-backed wooden chair. Her figure from the top of her headdress to near the bottom hem of her dress fills the left side of the painting. To her left is the trunk and lower branch of a tree. The green leaves of the tree fill the top right corner of the painting. Behind her on her right side is the thick brown trunk of a tree. The chair is sitting in front of a blue river bordered with green grass on both sides. A light brown hammock is tied to the tree branch on her left and extends behind the chair. Small flowers of many colors are growing at the base of the tree to the level of her waist. The bodice of the dress appears to be a softly pleated material. A band of sheer white material embroidered with white flowers decorates the neckline. The skirt is embroidered with white flowers. The veil is sheer and extends from the top of her head to below her knees. The front edge is cut into large scallops. Each scallop is decorated with a white six-petaled flower and delicate white leaves. Around her neck are two strands of brown beads. The lower strand hangs to waist level and ends with an abstract five-sided decoration that appears to be made from the same material as the beads. Her rounded oval face is turned slightly toward her left with a quiet expression. She has dark brown eyes with black pupils. Her arched dark eyebrows extend into a thin nose. Her bright red lips are set in a slight smile. The upper lip is heart shaped and the lower is full and rounded. Her dark brown hair is parted in the middle and pulled back softly. The veil is attached to the crown of her head by two large, red roses which are at the top of the painting. The veil covers her ears and upper arms and extends to below her knees with a white fringe at the bottom. A large, red cloth is tucked into her waist at her right side and covers her right thigh. Her lower arms angle down to her lap and cross at the wrist. The fingers of her left hand rest on the red cloth while the right hand gently holds the left wrist with the thumb underneath and the fingers resting on the white skirt. Her fingernails are painted bright red. The supports of a spindle backed chair show behind her head. The chair is painted yellow with blue accents. The supports reach to the top of the painting to the same level as the rose headdress. A thin strip of blue sky shows behind the chair.
The Rapture (Mexico City) 1950 Lola Álvarez Bravo
Artwork Description: This tightly cropped black and white photograph shows three children on a carousel. In the middle of the frame a young girl leans sharply to the right atop her horse, clutching the pole with her fingers extending to her face. Her left leg dangles down the side of the horse, with her toes touching the ground. Behind her the head and upper chest of a second young girl is visible while a boy is seen in three-quarter view on the left side. The poles attached to the horses form a strong vertical pattern while the elaborately carved horses with swirling tails and manes merge together in a pattern that suggests movement.
Activity: What do you see in these pictures that is beautiful or joyful? Draw or write it here.
Creating Frida/Being Frida
In addition to her art, Frida Kahlo expressed her personal identity and her politics through her clothing, hairstyles, and jewelry. Kahlo celebrated and honored her Indigenous heritage in what she wore, even while she incorporated European fashions as well.
Kahlo also lived with disabilities. When she was 18, she barely survived a terrible bus accident that shattered her pelvis and spine. During the long recovery from that accident, Kahlo began to paint. Art became a path for survival and self-expression.
In the exhibition, you will see Kahlo’s self-portraits alongside portraits created by her close friends and lovers. In each one, Kahlo participated in the crafting of her image, whether she was the one creating the picture or not.
With this photograph, Kahlo became the first Mexican woman to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine.
Braid crowns date back to Mesoamerica. Married women would braid their hair to resemble serpents, in honor of the Aztec goddess Coatlicue who symbolizes motherhood, life, fertility, destruction, and death.
Frida Kahlo on Bench #5 1939 by Nickolas Muray
Artwork Description: Kahlo sits on a platform covered with a pleated white sheet in front of a wall with green wall paper with clumps of delicate white flowers with five petals, three green leaves, and a brown twig. Near the bottom of the background there is a white bench with a sculpture of a grape vine which is completely white. Kahlo sits on her knees on the bench and wears an Indigenous dress with a black rebozo with long thin black tassels along the bottom over her shoulders and forearms. The top of her dress is black in the center of the chest bordered on the sides and bottom with bright yellow fabric with red flowers and leaves printed on it. A red vine with red flowers with yellow outlines runs across the collar and a black strip with red leaves that runs through the bright yellow fabric a bit above her waist. Her skirt is black with small clumps of three white leaves and a blossom. The bottom has a wide strip of yellow with red diamonds and a series of multicolored triangles at the top. She sits with her hands in her lap, left hand gently resting around her right hand. She has long nails painted a rose color and wears a large ring on the third finger of her left hand. Her long dark brown hair is braided around the crown of her head. She wears a headband with six pink roses on a sky-blue headband. She wears large metal earrings that have small gold balls at the top and bottom. Her necklace is a twisted golden rope with two strands. The first strand sits high against her neck and the second lays at the top of her collar. There is a large round gold medallion and the two strands continue in vertical lines below it and continue to her waist where a heart-shaped pendant with a gold ball on the bottom. Kahlo sits straight, looking directly at the camera with her gentle brown eyes, with her bright red lips gently closed and dark rose blush on her cheeks. She has thick black eyebrows which connect across the bridge of her nose.
Self-Portrait with Red and Gold Dress 1941 Frida Kahlo
Artwork Description: The letters “Frida Kahlo MCMXLI” are printed at the top of the painting with the word “Mexico” in smaller letters just below. Frida’s portrait fills the rest of the space. She is shown from the top of her head to the level of her collarbone. Her head is turned slightly toward her left so that only her right ear is visible. Her dark brown eyes are looking at the viewer. She has short, dark eyelashes. Her eyebrows are thick and dark and meet in a point at the center. Her nose slopes down to a rounded end. Because of the way her head is turned, only the right nostril shows. There are slight lines from her nose to the corners of her full, red lips that are set in a neutral expression. Her black hair is pulled back severely with a center part. Gray hair shows at her hairline near her right ear. Her hair is styled into a thick rope across the top of her head and ends in a thick braid. The braid falls from the top of the rope to behind her right ear, and then disappears behind her back. Her neck shows only to the hollow at her throat. Her skin is golden brown with a slightly darker shade of brown at her neck and a rosy blush on her cheeks. Only the shoulders of the dress show. It has a geometric design of red circles in small squares of gold and light brown. The background is a painted wall. It is a mottled reddish-brown color that is many shades darker than her skin.
Frida and Dr. Farill 1951 by Giséle Freund
Artwork Description: This black and white photograph is taken in a painting studio. Frida is seated in a wheelchair. She is looking at the camera, eyes open, lips closed, her face white with light and her dark hair in braids wrapped around her head. She is wearing earrings, a medallion necklace and a short-sleeved blouse embroidered with large flowers. She has a long skirt covering her legs with pleats near the bottom and is holding a palette on her lap and arm and has two long slender paintbrushes in the other hand. Standing behind her is a bald light skinned man wearing a three piece suit with a white pin stripped button down and dark tie under the vest. He has dark eyebrows and is looking past the camera and has his right hand resting on a table. Also on this table is a painting of Frida in a large white cape with dark skirts sitting in a wheelchair holding a palette and paintbrushes in front of an easel with a large portrait of the bald man that she is with in the photograph. In the painting she is in an empty room with white walls and a gray lower border with wooden floors. In the actual room, the wall are also white, with a large window, a bed, a light bulb hanging from a cord, a few tables with assorted things on them including wine and tequila bottles, painters rags and more.
In 1951, Kahlo required seven surgeries on her spinal column, which Dr. Farill performed. She wrote, “Dr. Farill saved me. He brought me back the joy of life.”
Activity: Choose two Kahlo portraits from this booklet or elsewhere in the exhibition and compare them. How do these portraits show you who Friday Kahlo was? What is she communicating through her clothing and jewelry, her posture and expression, and the setting? What stories do her eyes tell? Write a response or sketch one of the portraits here.
Marvelous Real
Frida Kahlo unites her personal identity with Mexican identity and mythology in this richly symbolic painting. The universe appears as light and dark. Her arms encompass the earth/Mexico, personified as an Indigenous woman who holds Frida. Frida cradles her husband, Diego Rivera, who appears at once as an infant and as a man. The eye on his forehead signifies wisdom. The moon, the sun, a variety of cacti, and even Kahlo’s dog Señor Xolotl (sho-lo-till) are all here.
The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and Señor Xolotl 1949 by Frida Kahlo
Artwork Description: An abstract figure depicting the universe is holding different symbols of Mexican life in its arms. One of these symbols is a large pre-Columbian statue. The statue is holding Frida and Diego in her arms. Frida is holding Diego. The universe is shown as a face in the clouds at the center top with cloud-like swirls coming down each side to end in large hands at the bottom of the painting. The left side is in shades of black and brown and includes a small yellow sphere. The right side is in shades of gray and white and includes a larger orange sphere. Near the center and covering the right side of the face of the universe is a female figure carved from clay. The head is intact with long hair in rolled plaits. The neck and chest resemble cracked stone. A ravine-like crack extends down the left breast to end at the nipple from which comes a drop of milk. A small tree is growing above the breast. The statue’s arms encircle the figures of a woman and a man. The woman is sitting with her upper body in front of the statue’s right breast. The woman has an oval face, black eyebrows that meet over the nose, tan skin, and long black hair that hangs over her shoulders. Her black eyes are looking ahead. She is wearing a red dress with short sleeves and a long, full skirt with white pleats at the bottom. She is holding a man. He is on his back with his knees bent and his head resting on her right elbow. Her hands meet at his chest. The man has small breasts, a round face, and a round stomach. His skin is paler than hers. He seems to be looking up. On his forehead is the red outline of an eye with a black circle in the center. His hands meet at the top of his stomach and are holding what appear to be orange and red flames. The statue’s right wrist is under his back and its left hand is holding his right thigh. Different types of cacti and other plant life in shades of green and brown encircle the statue and the two figures. All are held in the arms of the universe whose hands meet with the right fingers over the left just below the white pleats of the skirt. The undersides of the forearms have many thin reddish/brown roots reaching downward. One thin, branching root is hanging between the thumb and first finger of the dark right hand. Just above this thumb is a small, sleeping, deer-like animal.
Activity: What figures can you find in this painting? What other details do you notice? What do you think Frida Kahlo is saying in this painting? How does this artwork express mexicanidad? Write your interpretation fo the painting here.
Frida Kahlo with Itzcuintli Dog 1952 by Héctor García
Artwork Description: Frida lounges on a bed with her arms wrapped around a small hairless dog in this tightly cropped photograph. She is on her side with her right ear resting on a pillow. Her eyes and lips are closed. She has a loose fitting sweater over her shoulder and her left arm and a long black skirt that extends out of the photograph. The dog is in front of her chest, with its head resting in the crook of her elbow. Her left hand is over her right hand and each of her fingers has a large ring on it, she is also wearing nail polish. The dog is hairless except for a few whiteish hairs on its head near the eyes. It has erect, pointy ears and a small nose. There are slight wrinkles at its neck and hips. The surface on which they are lying is full of textiles. There is lace in the foreground, an embroidered blanket in the front of her skirts and more white sheets and fringed patterned blankets behind her.
Art Credits:
Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886–1957), Calla Lily Vendor, 1943. Oil on Masonite; 59.1 x 47.2 in (150 x 120 cm). The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of 20th-Century Mexican Art and the Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). © 2022 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Gerardo Suter.
Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907–1954), Self-Portrait with Monkeys, 1943. Oil on canvas; 32 x 24.8 in (81.5 x 63 cm). The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of 20th-Century Mexican Art and the Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). © 2022 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Gerardo Suter.
Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886–1957), Landscape with Cacti, 1931. Oil on canvas; 49.2 x 59.1 in (125.5 x 150 cm). The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of 20th-Century Mexican Art and the Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). © 2022 Banco de MexicoDiego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Gerardo Suter.
José Clemente Orozco, Zapatistas (Generals), 1935, lithograph on cream wove Fabriano paper, Portland Art Museum, The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic Arts Collection, © artist or other rights holder, 80.122.501
José Clemente Orozco, La Revolución (The Revolution), 1929, lithograph on cream wove paper, Portland Art Museum, Museum Purchase: Helen Thurston Ayer Fund, © artist or other rights holder, 46.44
José Clemente Orozco, La Retaguardia (Rear Guard), 1929, lithograph on cream wove Rives BFK paper, Portland Art Museum, Museum Purchase: Helen Thurston Ayer Fund, © artist or other rights holder, 46.46
Lola Alvarez Bravo (Mexico, 1903–1993), The Rapture (Mexico City), c. 1950. Gelatin-silver print. Throckmorton Fine Art, New York. The Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). 2020 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image courtesy Throckmorton Fine Art, Inc.
Maria Izquierdo (Mexican, 1902–1955), Bride from Papantla (Portrait of Rosalba Portes Gil), 1944. Oil on canvas; 49.2 x 38.4 in (125 x 100 cm). The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of 20th-Century Mexican Art and the Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). © 2022 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Gerardo Suter.
Nickolas Muray (American, 1892–1965), Frida Kahlo on Bench #5, 1939. Carbon print; 15.7 x 10.7 in. (40 x 27.3 cm). The Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). Photo by Nickolas Muray; Nickolas Muray Photo Archives. Digital Image by Gerardo Suter.
Gisèle Freund (French, 1908–2000), Frida and Dr. Farill, 1951. Gelatin-silver print. Throckmorton Fine Art, New York. The Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). 2020 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image courtesy Throckmorton Fine Art, Inc.
Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907–1954), Self-Portrait with Red and Gold Dress, 1941. Oil on canvas; 15.3 x 10.8 in (39 x 27.5 cm). The Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). 2020 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Gerardo Suter.
Héctor García (Mexican, 1923–2012), Frida Kahlo with Itzcuintli Dog, 1952. Gelatin-silver print. Throckmorton Fine Art, New York. The Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). 2020 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image courtesy Throckmorton Fine Art, Inc.
Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907–1954), The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and Señor Xolotl, 1949. Oil on masonite; 27.5 x 23.8 in (70 x 60.5 cm). The Vergel Foundation and MondoMostre in collaboration with the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). 2020 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Gerardo Suter.
Thank you for visiting the Portland Art Museum and come back soon! Youth 17 and under always have free admission.
For resources and art projects, visit: pam.to/mexican-modernism
Special thanks to Teacher Advisory Council members: Dora Lisa Chavez, Carolyn Hazel Drake, Katie Gillard, Joanne Kim, Lisa Notman, Ximena Keogh Serrano, and Marcelle Valladares
Credits: Mika Rane, illustration; Elyse Yerman, design; AB Cultural Drivers, translation