I congratulate Hayden Herrera with much enthusiasm for the great investigative work she underwent to write this biography of Frida Kahlo. My main motivation to read this book was to understand what The New York Times called the "Fridamania" in their review of Carolyn Burke's "Frida Kahlo in 'Gringolandia'". At that time I had the perception that Fridamania was more palpable in the United States than in Mexico, just like the celebration of Cinco de mayo (Fifth of May). It should be said, though, that I left Mexico when I was eighteen years old, and I now realise that back then I was aware of far fewer things about the world. The reason I did not choose Carolyn Burke's novel is that it was published in 2020 and I wanted to read a book that was precluded from the influence of the aforementioned Fridamania. Interestingly, that same article referenced Hayden Herrera's biography of Frida Kahlo, published in 1983. Twenty nine years after Frida Kahlo's death. Compare that to Arrian's Anabasis, written more than three hundred years after the death of Alexander the Great.
Frida Kahlo had an incredibly epic life. There is a mythological aura surrounding Frida Kahlo that tells of a woman that has persevered through so much suffering and that conquered life despite all the adversities that she endured. Hayden Herrera is here to tell you the truth behind those myths, and what she basically says is that there is much truth to them, but also lets you see that Frida Kahlo was, after all, just like all of us, just a human being. Frida Kahlo was just as immature when she was young as any of us. Frida Kahlo experienced love, pain, jealousy, anger, all emotions, just like all of us. But the extraordinary events of her life: the accident in the public transport, her marriage to Mexico's at the time most celebrated artist Diego Rivera, the never ending infidelities on his and her part, the never ending medical operations that she went through, her blatant bisexuality, her becoming a celebrated painter on her own, her relationship with the Communist party, and with figures like Leon Trotsky, Carlos Pellicer, María Félix, Jorge Negrete, Dolores Olmedo, et al., and the way that she learnt from and reacted to all those experiences, turned her into the legend that she is.
I had been to two exhibitions of Frida Kahlo's paintings before reading this book. One being a temporary exhibition at Mexico City's Palace of Fine Arts (looking in retrospect, I do not think Frida Kahlo ever imagined that her work would ever be exhibited there), and the other at the Dolores Olmedo Museum. On both occassions I failed to understand and appreciate her work. But reading Hayden Herrera's book I finally learnt to appreciate it. And, as I was reading the book, and as I was becoming more and more a fan of her painting, I was somehow growing sadder and sadder thinking that she had not been properly appreciated in her life time. I was very happy to be proved wrong when I reached the chapter where I learnt that Frida Kahlo's funeral service was at the Palace of Fine Arts—which is generally considered as the highest honour that can be bestowed on a Mexican artist by the Mexican government. On this note, I would like to say that I find it extremely curious that at least two non-heterosexual artists have received this honour, the most recent one that I am aware of is Juan Gabriel, who died in 2016, and that the people (the Mexican people) had no visible objection to that fact. I say this knowing that in 2019 there was a huge protest outside the Palace of Fine Arts demanding that Fabián Cháirez's painting La revolución—that depicts a camp Emiliano Zapata, nude, in high heels, and wearing a pink sombrero—be removed from a temporary exhibition there, and knowing that the protest culminated in the removal of the painting.
I think I now understand where Fridamania is coming from. Frida Kahlo was an undoubtedly extraordinary human being, and there is much to be admired of her. I totally agree with Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, when, as reported by Rolling Stone, he said he loved the boldness of the statement made by Frida Kahlo in finishing her painting Viva la vida just eight days before she died, despite having gone through so much in her life, including the amputation of her leg almost at the end of her life. It is such a bold statement, indeed.
My highest praise goes to Frida Kahlo. And my wholehearted gratitude to Hayden Herrera for her great work.
Frida Kahlo had an incredibly epic life. There is a mythological aura surrounding Frida Kahlo that tells of a woman that has persevered through so much suffering and that conquered life despite all the adversities that she endured. Hayden Herrera is here to tell you the truth behind those myths, and what she basically says is that there is much truth to them, but also lets you see that Frida Kahlo was, after all, just like all of us, just a human being. Frida Kahlo was just as immature when she was young as any of us. Frida Kahlo experienced love, pain, jealousy, anger, all emotions, just like all of us. But the extraordinary events of her life: the accident in the public transport, her marriage to Mexico's at the time most celebrated artist Diego Rivera, the never ending infidelities on his and her part, the never ending medical operations that she went through, her blatant bisexuality, her becoming a celebrated painter on her own, her relationship with the Communist party, and with figures like Leon Trotsky, Carlos Pellicer, María Félix, Jorge Negrete, Dolores Olmedo, et al., and the way that she learnt from and reacted to all those experiences, turned her into the legend that she is.
I had been to two exhibitions of Frida Kahlo's paintings before reading this book. One being a temporary exhibition at Mexico City's Palace of Fine Arts (looking in retrospect, I do not think Frida Kahlo ever imagined that her work would ever be exhibited there), and the other at the Dolores Olmedo Museum. On both occassions I failed to understand and appreciate her work. But reading Hayden Herrera's book I finally learnt to appreciate it. And, as I was reading the book, and as I was becoming more and more a fan of her painting, I was somehow growing sadder and sadder thinking that she had not been properly appreciated in her life time. I was very happy to be proved wrong when I reached the chapter where I learnt that Frida Kahlo's funeral service was at the Palace of Fine Arts—which is generally considered as the highest honour that can be bestowed on a Mexican artist by the Mexican government. On this note, I would like to say that I find it extremely curious that at least two non-heterosexual artists have received this honour, the most recent one that I am aware of is Juan Gabriel, who died in 2016, and that the people (the Mexican people) had no visible objection to that fact. I say this knowing that in 2019 there was a huge protest outside the Palace of Fine Arts demanding that Fabián Cháirez's painting La revolución—that depicts a camp Emiliano Zapata, nude, in high heels, and wearing a pink sombrero—be removed from a temporary exhibition there, and knowing that the protest culminated in the removal of the painting.
I think I now understand where Fridamania is coming from. Frida Kahlo was an undoubtedly extraordinary human being, and there is much to be admired of her. I totally agree with Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, when, as reported by Rolling Stone, he said he loved the boldness of the statement made by Frida Kahlo in finishing her painting Viva la vida just eight days before she died, despite having gone through so much in her life, including the amputation of her leg almost at the end of her life. It is such a bold statement, indeed.
My highest praise goes to Frida Kahlo. And my wholehearted gratitude to Hayden Herrera for her great work.
