Art Captions

Author notes

0017. Self-portrait on the borderline.

CornTown

on Feb. 7, 2010

By Frida Kahlo (1907-1956)
Circa. 1932
Surrealism

Like many artist, Frida Kahlo lived a tragic life. At age six, she contracted polio, damaging her ability to walk. Fifteen years later, she was in a traffic accident which broke both her body and her ability to have children. It was during her recovery period that Kahlo taught herself to paint and became a full time artist. She eventually married famous painter Diego Rivera, and their life together was rocky at best. Throughout her life, she was plagued by the pains from her accident and had to undergo dozens of surgeries in order to stay alive. When she died, she was an unknown artist and didn't become popular until the 1980's, thirty years after her death.