Kahlo, Frida (1907-1954)
El marco (The Frame)
1938
Oil on aluminum, framed in glass, 28.5 × 20.7 cm
Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris
This uncompromising self-portrait depicts the artist’s face free of the stereo-typical female aesthetics dictated by social convention.
Frida Kahlo sustained a terrible accident at the age of 18, which caused her both physical and psychological suffering for the rest of her life. She used painting as a means of expression, including her stand against injustices suffered by women and the poor. This self-portrait has been inserted into a frame produced by Mexican craftspeople. These frames were usually used for mirrors, photos or religious icons. This small painting bears a message of liberty and resistance, rather in the manner of a votive offering. (Centre Pompidou)