What Was Frida Kahlo Known For?

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a Mexican painter best known for her self-portraits. Kahlo’s paintings are characterized by their use of bright colors and depictions of Mexican culture and history, as well as their depiction of the artist’s physical pain. Through her art, Kahlo explored issues such as identity, gender, class and race. During her lifetime, Kahlo suffered from health problems including polio and a bus accident that left her with lifelong injuries. She married fellow artist Diego Rivera in 1929, but the couple had a tempestuous relationship that ended in divorce in 1939. In 1940 they remarried, but Kahlo had an affair with Trotskyist leader Leon Trotsky, causing a rift with Rivera. She remained politically active throughout her life, being an outspoken communist and active member of the Mexican Communist Party. In 1953 Kahlo underwent surgery in the United States which removed a portion of her right leg; it has been speculated that she took her own life as a result of this operation or its aftermath. Today Kahlo’s work is celebrated; paintings by the artist have fetched high prices at auction. Kahlo spent her final days in her California home, with Rivera at her side. Her house has been preserved as a museum.