The first time I heard about the great Frida Kahlo was in my AP Spanish class during my Sophomore year of high school. Her unibrow and enigmatic look piqued my interest before her paintings did. “The Mexican portrait painter was truly an influential artist who combined traditional themes with a contemporary style and also helped to promote the role of women in the art world” (kahlo.org). I researched about the artist and learned she lived a very painful and turbulent life. Kahlo’s works are often a reflection of her experiences as a woman. Coincidentally, when I discovered Kahlo, my parents were divorcing and I was heartbroken. I chose to analyze Las Dos Fridas (The Two Fridas) because I saw how divorce can truly destroy a person.
Las Dos Fridas was Kahlo’s largest painting and was completed in 1939 after her divorce from the famous Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera. “It’s a portrait of love, heart-break and duality” (kahlo.org). One good observation to point out is that Frida is notorious for using human anatomy as an element of form in her portraits. The representation of blood seen throughout her pieces is symbolic for loss and death as well as unity and family linage. In this particular portrait, two identical Fridas appear wearing distinct attire which represent the artist in different points in her life. A vein runs between the two Fridas communicating unity; hearts are exposed and vulnerable to love. The woman of the right wears a traditional Mexican dress and tightly