Frida Kahlo Analysis- Frieda and Diego Rivera (1931)

After choosing Kahlo as my first artist, I chose to analyse her  1931 work: Frieda and Diego Rivera.

 

 

Frieda and Diego Rivera

Date: 1931    Media: Oil on canvas

Scale:  100.01 x 78.74 cm

Frieda and Diego Rivera is a 1931 painting by iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The painting is a self portrait of herself and her husband Diego Rivera. Created by Kahlo in San Francisco whilst she visited the united states with Rivera (the first time she had left her native Mexico), the painting depicts the couple holding hands in a stark beige room. 

Primarily known for self-portraits, Kahlo’s use of her husband as a second subject is unusual; however she still uses her preferred media of oil paint, signifying familiarity. At a first glance the scale of the subjects seems distorted; Rivera on the right seems completely disproportionate when compared with the small stature of Kahlo on the left, in particular the juxtaposition of their feet creates an even greater a feeling of Rivera dwarfing Kahlo into insignificance. It could also be argued that Rivera’s dominance in the painting echo’s their relationship. Kahlo married Rivera when she was 22, twenty years his junior, therefore their difference in stature is explained. However their stance seems to display an imbalance in equality, Kahlo places her hand tenderly in Rivera’s hand, her other clutching her shawl and her eyes gazing indirectly into the foreground.  Whereas Rivera stands tall, staring directly at the viewer, with his hand placed underneath Kahlo’s, which seems almost childlike in comparison.

Despite the supremacy displayed by Rivera, the pigments used by Kahlo to depict his clothing are monotone. On the other hand Kahlo has used tones of green for her dress, yet her bright red shawl overshadows all other pigments in the painting. By coupling the comforting shawl that is draped around her body with red, a colour synonymous with danger and passion, Kahlo has created a feeling of protection. This echoes the context of the painting as Kahlo had left her native country for the first time with her husband, who was the only person she knew.