The Broken Column Is it a portrait of Christ on the cross? Or is it an image of a revolutionist staring at death? Inside the golden frame, a naked woman faces the viewer fully frontal. Her upper body is constrained by a bandage, resembling a cage. Scattered nails pierce her shoulder. Drooling tears run down her chin. Between her beautifully shaped breasts is a fissure, and a broken column in place of her spine is revealed. There she is—broken, penetrated, yet beautiful Frida Kahlo portrayed in The Broken Column. Suffering was a recurrent theme in Frida Kahlo’s life. Handicapped from her early age, Kahlo spent most of her life in pain. Once fractured body summoned the terrible anguish every night and drowned Frida Kahlo in tears forever. Even later in her life, Kahlo had to face heartbreaking events. Nonetheless, it was also pain that made her a revolutionist, an artist, and most importantly, Frida Kahlo. Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907, in Coyocoán, Mexico City, Mexico. Crippled by polio at the age of six, she grew up as an intelligent, bright girl despite her physical deformity. Soon, in 1922, she went to prominent National Preparatory School as one of the thirty-five female students out of two thousand in the whole school. Young Kahlo dreamt of becoming a doctor, and developed her love for studies in Biology and Anatomy. The most romantic times of her life also began around this year: Kahlo joined a student club named Cachucha. And while hanging out with the member