The Two Fridas

Improved Essays
The Two Fridas is an oil painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, painted in 1939. This large-scale work presents a double self-portrait of two versions of Frida that takes almost the entire canvas, posing seated on a wooden-bench together. One is wearing a discreet, elegant, white European-style Victorian dress while the other one is wearing a colorful, traditional Mexican dress- both representing the artist’s background. The first impression that depicts this art of work is the duality of a woman, the double-perception of the artist herself, personalities, one side as a strong, enamored woman and another as a woman in pain, suffering. The version in the left shows the scarcity and pain in her life as shown by an uncompleted heart and blood …show more content…
The purpose of the painting has a meaning to the artist herself with her experience. This is a surrealist painting. surrealism learns to transmit pain, seek to break the traditional. Her characteristics are the synthesis of expressionist techniques. Kahlo used well-defined outlines to shape the figures and textures; however, it does not change how we as the viewers perceive the colors that differentiate the two figures. The background is marked with neutral colors, contrasting the colors on the two subjects and creating a moody feeling. Kahlo creates an optical-illusion in which the picture plane is not flat, playing with the textures of their appeals and atmosphere by using shades. Moreover, the hearts are seen flat because her purpose was to create an illusion of a heart juxtaposed in Frida’s body as a decorative subject and to compare the meaning of her romantic relationship and the rest of her life. The artists use exterior scenes in the background, filled with grayish, unshaped clouds. Every detail is well-located so the viewer could learn about each detail’s meaning to the artist. Compositionally, Frida opted for the use of lineal perspective, centered at the canvas between the two figures strengthening the union of two different origins as one common

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In the year 1932, on the 4th of July, Frida had a miscarriage at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Frida painted herself after the miscarriage, lying back on the bed in the hospital, which turned into this terrifying self-portrait. The woman in the portrait is naked, the sheets under her stained with her blood, and a huge tear drops from her left eye. The bed drifts in an intangible space, encircled by six different images, which act as metaphors relating to the miscarriage. These are secured by umbilical cords and she holds all of them tightly in her fist, never wanting to let go.…

    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Color: The painting has a combination of complimentary colors that give the piece a warm look. For instance, the yellow and orange provides light to the composition and also add a visual depth to it because both colors reflect the scheme of a peaceful night. In addition, the blue in the sky beautifully portrays harmony throughout the painting, and the black in the background perfectly contrasts with the blue in the sky and the circled white brush strokes…

    • 338 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The expression that here she is, take it or leave it kind of expression which is expressed with a sarcastic look. Judith’s self-portrait on the other hand shows a mood of happiness as she paints an image of a faceless violist. It most likely is faceless due to the already joyful expression on her face is supposed to transpire the feeling of violist upon the picture. These self-portrait’s show very optimistic expressions which makes it very simplistic in picking them apart as very different in most accounts. Frida painted using vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by indigenous cultures of Mexico as well as by European influences that include Realism, Symbolism, and Surrealism (The Complete Works).…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Outline which is the outer edges is the one forming the lips, the eyelids, in the collar the Frida is wearing also, on the branches and leaves. The Contour lines mark the edges of the paint in which we can see it on the nose, the mouth, and ears, and also in the elements of the portrait. Cross Contour is noticeable on the lips and the nose of Frida Kahlo, and on the collar as rings. The tones are dark green, light green, yellow and gray, which gives a three-dimensional illusion of the objects. Bright colors are found throughout the…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During this time, painting held a greater importance in her life. She became preoccupied with the idea of motherhood and continued to paint self-portraits, in addition, to still lifes with flowers and fruit. Consistent with previous art, the still lives were sexual in character. Exhibitions were also a staple at this time. In 1938 Rivera convinced his wife to participate in an exhibition by the Mexico City University Gallery which marked the first time Frida Kahlo had publically exhibited her work.…

    • 1495 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gustav Klimt Assignment

    • 1435 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Which artist did you choose and why? To start off this assignment, I researched art works and designs that are based around pattern. I made an inspiration of different types of pattern designs that inspired me, and I wrote a brief description beneath them in my visual diary. After completing this process, I chose my artwork; The Tree of Life.…

    • 1435 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While Diego was there Frida would admire him while he was doing his mural, the mural that Diego was painting was called "The creation in the school's hall. " When Frida would hang out with a group that was politically and intellectually like-minded students. She fell in love with one of her group members she would hangout with his name…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo de Rivera was born on July 6th, 1907 in Coyoacan, Mexico City, Mexico. Frida was a Mexican painter who was known for her self-portraits. Frida who was married to Diego Rivera ironically was a bisexual feminist. Kahlo had a tough marriage with Diego Rivera. Frida always had health problems, at the age of six she had been diagnosed with Polio.…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This painting shows these themes because the artist have painted what they saw but included more and less. Something that these painters include are more idealized colors to the stereotype of a perfect sunset--as shown in my picture--to add romance and aestheticism. Some things that they, the painters, exclude are the real things in life such as the demented part of nature and how the world really looks. These painters don’t add the ugly things in life like dead animals or conflict between nature and mammals such as humans. These feature are included and excluded to show a more aesthetic and or idealized version of life and nature.…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In 1925, Frida was involved in a terrible bus accident that left her bed ridden for months. While she was recuperating Frida took up painting, and soon found that she had a genuine passion for self-portraits. Her mother had a special easel made so she could paint while she was in bed and her father gave her some of his oil paints. As time passed, Frida’s paintings began to reflect the way she managed health issues such as chronic pain, heart disease, and other physical limitations.…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This artwork depicts two sides of Frida, one post-surgery and another dressed in traditional Tehuana clothing. The post-surgery Frida is lying on what is possibly a hospital bed, with her back to the onlooker. Her back has two bloody wounds. Sitting beside the post-surgery Frida is Frida dressed in traditional Tehuana clothing holding a flag, and back brace. The flag that Frida is holding has the words, “Arbol de la esperanza mantente firme”, that translates to “Tree of Hope, Keep Firm”.…

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The background of the image contains multiple leaves in shades of a warm green. Compared to the foreground where the only warm colour is Kahlo’s skin tone. These warm colours attract the eyes attention towards this aspect of the artwork. The eyes of the viewer are first drawn to Kahlo’s face as it contains the warmest colour of the artwork. Next the viewer’s eyes are drawn towards leaves that occupy the background of the artwork.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Wounded Deer Analysis

    • 1406 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In this article, Lambirth explains what he observed from the children viewing her work. He says,“ Probably the most famous painting in the whole exhibition is ‘The Two Fridas’ in which she’s depicted broken-hearted. He overheard one child say to her teacher ‘she killed herself’ as she studied this fearful image before being hustled on to the next surprise to the system” (Lambirth). It seems alarming that a young child would mention talk of suicide, however, it also shows the reality of what effect Frida’s artwork has on people. Many people perceive many different messages from Kahlo’s art…

    • 1406 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The colors used in the artwork, the materials used, and the expression or the face in the artwork help to make the artwork recognizable and a successful piece of work. The Myra use of color give the painting a dark mysterious effect about the painting. The colors in the painting are very cool dark colors that range from light grey to black.…

    • 1073 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Scream Poem Analysis

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Also, the mixture of warm colors on top combined with primary and secondary colors give the painting a delicate effect particularly the three green brush strokes as it adds even more mystery to the painting. Furthermore, the diagonal lines that shape the floor and the barriers of the bridge and the curved lines on the water make a combination of energy and endlessness at the same time because the side of where the scared looking person is, looks completely different from where the water, which is what perhaps reflects the degree of anxiety that the scared looking person was suffering in that particular…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays