Hayden Herrera

A Biography of Frida Kahlo

Frida

Amy Thibodeau

I read most of this book while on a vacation to Puerto Morelos Mexico. I've wanted to read more about Frida Kahlo for a long time, but it's surprisingly hard to find a biography. This was a pretty good book, although it seemed to glorify the conjecture and myth of Kahlo's life in a way that didn't reveal her. It was written as a myth about a woman who mythologized herself in life.

The beautifully illustrated and utterly absorbing biography of one of the twentieth century's most transfixing artists Frida is the story of one of the twentieth century 's most extraordinary women, the painter Frida Kahlo. Born near Mexico City, she grew up during the turbulent days of the Mexican Revolution and, at eighteen, was the victim of an accident that left her crippled and unable to bear children. To salvage what she could from her unhappy situation, Kahlo had to learn to keep still so she began to paint. Kahlo 's unique talent was to make her one of the century 's most enduring artists. But her remarkable paintings were only one element of a rich and dramatic life. Frida is also the story of her tempestuous marriage to the muralist Diego Rivera, her love affairs with numerous, diverse men such as Isamu Noguchi and Leon Trotsky, her involvement with the Communist Party, her absorption in Mexican folklore and culture, and of the inspiration behind her unforgettable art.

The Biography of Frida Kahlo

Melody Izard

So interesting to learn the details of her life, work and death.

Anyaconda

I've tried to finish this for over a year now and had to force myself to pick it up. I adore the movie with Salma Hayek, but of course the book has way more information to offer. However I found it quite dry, especially all the historical and political stuff woven in between and all the other people that played a huge part in Frida's life. I wasn't a fan of the descriptions about psycho-analyzing her paintings either. I paint myself quite a bit and to be honest I don't think she even thought about or intended meaning for half the stuff that people read into her paintings 🙄

This beautifully-illustrated and engrossing biography of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo reveals a woman of extreme magnetism and originality and an artist whose sensual vibrancy came straight from her own experiences. Born and brought up near Mexico City during the Mexican Revolution, she suffered a devastating accident aged eighteen, which left her crippled and unable to bear children. Her marriage to the muralist Diego Rivera was tempestuous, and she had many love affairs with men as diverse as Isamu Noguchi and Leon Trotsky. Absorbed in Mexican folklore and culture and a lover of dramatic spectacle, Kahlo's tumultuous life is that of an extraordinary twentieth-century woman.

Ian Mason

Enjoyed this book immensely. A very detailed, informative and readable biography. I've gone from a point of knowing virtually nothing about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera (or, to be honest, Mexican art in general) to being fascinated with them, their art and their politics. I've got to explore further!

As a very welcome (and necessary) bonus the book contains a lot of photographs and colour and black and white plates of Frida Kahlo's works, which are extensively referenced in the text.

Om den mexicanske maler Frida Kahlo's (1907-1954) værker

The Paintings

Frida A Biography of Frida Kahlo

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