Self Portrait with Monkey, 1940 Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo 9 Frida Kahlo Paintings 9 Self Portrait with Monkey, 1940 Frida Kahlo
Self Portrait with Monkey 1940 Frida Kahlo

Self Portrait with Monkey by Frida Kahlo

The work of Frida Kahlo, one of the most extravagant artists of the 20th century, attracts the attention of art lovers for its originality and play of colors. Frida’s difficult fate left an imprint not only on her drawing style, but also on the choice of scenes for the paintings. After a terrible car accident, which forced her to lie down for a long time, Kahlo decided to learn fine arts. She painted her paintings on a stretcher that was attached to the bed.

Frida’s favorite genre was the self-portrait: she spent a lot of time looking at herself in the mirror and analyzing her own physical and mental suffering, she transferred what she saw to the canvas. This is how the image of Frida Kahlo appeared. Frida Kahlo, Self-portrait with monkey 1940, with a description of which we invite you to know.

Frida Kahlo monkey painting

The canvas shows a young woman with a monkey peeking out from behind her right shoulder. The background of the models are dense thickets of bushes with large dark green leaves. It can be assumed that “Self-Portrait with a Monkey” is more of a ceremonial image, as Frida Kahlo drew herself in elegant clothes decorated with a gold border. The expression on the woman’s face is stern and solemn, the gaze is directed at the viewer, but at the same time it is directed inward. Her luxurious black hair is arranged in a strange hairstyle, decorated with a bright red ribbon, like an amulet around Frida’s neck and connecting it with a monkey. The animal grabbed its mistress with its paws, as if seeking protection from her.

In Frida Kahlo’s painting “Self Portrait with Monkey” 1940, as in other works by this artist, there is symbolism. Two years after the accident, she met the famous artist Diego Rivera, who was almost twice her age. Their relationship was very complicated: Rivera was often absent from her home, which gave Freida cause for jealousy. The artist threw her mental anguish onto the canvas, depicting herself surrounded by pets: Mr. Xolotl’s Changito monkeys and dogs. The ribbon decorating her hair and searching for the animals symbolized not only the connection between them and the hostess, but also matched them, but also emphasized Frida Kahlo’s loneliness.

Frida Kahlo Self Portrait with Monkey 1940

Frida Kahlo “Self Portrait with Monkey“, written in 1940 in the genre of folk art, is one of those canvases, which tells the viewer about a lonely woman who has not lost her strength. Art critics, admirers of the artist’s talent and true connoisseurs of art consider this picture one of the best self-portraits of Kahlo, created by her in the mature period of creativity.