In 1946, Frida traveled back to New York for a spinal fusion. This operation has been called “the beginning of the end” for Frida. Although he consulted numerous, perhaps too many, doctors, his condition got worse and worse after this operation. In this portrait, Frida appears thin and frail, yet relaxed and smiling. The text on the banner at the bottom reads:
“Here I painted myself, Frida Kahlo, with my reflection in the mirror. I am 37 years old and it is July 1947. In Coyoacán, Mexico, the place where I was born.”
In the inscription she says she is “37 years old” when in fact she was 40 at the time of painting this self-portrait. In this self-portrait, Self Portrait with Loose Hair, Frida has greatly exaggerated her hair…perhaps to please Diego, who loved her long, flowing hair.
