Student Name
Institute Name
Visual Art Critique
Introduction
Frida Kahlo was born in the year 1907 in Coyocoan, Mexico City in Mexico. Frida Kahlo was considered one of the greatest artists of her time. The artist grew up in a family home, later called the Blue House (Casa Azul). Frida Kahlo’s father was a German who immigrated to Mexico and married her mother, Matilde. Her father eventually took over the photography business from his wife’s family. The artist’s mother was half Spanish and half Amerindian. Frida Kahlo has two older and one younger sisters (FridaKahlo, 2022). At a very young age of six, the artist contracted polio, making her bedridden for nine months and causing her right leg and foot to grow thinner than the left one. At the age of fifteen, Frida Kahlo met her future husband Diego Rivera in National Preparatory School in Mexico, where he was painting a mural at school. After a terrible bus accident in 1925, the artist was bedridden was many months; therefore, her father encouraged her to paint by supplying her painting materials and a mirror. This was the time when she painted self-portraits. Most of her painting reflected the different phases of her life and the artist’s suffering both internally and physically. Her paintings also depict the passion for love and live that draws attention to a New York show in 1938 (Artstory, 2022).
The artist died in 1954, but her art continues to grow and her legacy ever-expanding. However, many of the paintings by Frida Kahlo are not meant to be for young children; therefore, one must proceed with caution with the young children of 3-5 years. However, the artist certainly has some paintings that can be shared with the student and encourage engagement through learning and reflection. Some paintings like Self-portrait with Bonito, Viva la Vida watermelons, Self-portrait with Tehuana, The Bus, and Self-portrait dedicated to Dr. Eloesser, Self-portrait dedicated to Dr. Leon Trotsky, Self-portrait in Red and Gold Dress, and Self-portrait with Monkey (Alvarado, 2022).
Artworks
Art #1: Self-portrait with Bonito
| Art #1 | Questions |
| When was the artwork made? The artwork was made in 1941. | |
| How was the artwork made? The artwork was made with oil pastels and a canvas with dimension of 55 x 43.4 cm. The Artwork originally titled as Autorretrato Con Bonito. | |
| What is the style of the artwork? The style of the artwork is Naïve Art (primitivism). The artist is dressed in black dress to mourn for her father’s death. Unlike any other portrait the artist does not wear any jewelry or the characteristics of flower on her head to bring the cloud of sadness in that time of her life. Frida Kahlo style was developed through the inspiration from the Mexican Folk culture. | |
| Why was the artwork created? In this portrait Frida Kahlo portrays the deep sorrow and sadness she felt when her father died. As her relationship with her father was very warm and close opposite to what she had with her mother which was cold and distant, Frida used the Self-portrait with Bonito to covey her true emotions and feelings of sadness hidden within the brush strokes. The artist also has painted her beloved parrot Bonito on her shoulder who has also died. (Kahlo.org, 2022) |
Art #2: Viva la Vida watermelons
| Art #2 | Questions |
| When was the artwork made? Originally titled as Viva la Vida, Sandias the artwork was made in 1954. The painting is the final message from the artist herself. | |
| How was the artwork made? The artwork was made with oil pastels, Masonite, and canvas with dimension of 59.5 x 50.8 cm. | |
| What is the style of the artwork? The style of the artwork is Naïve Art (primitivism). The art depicts the still life. The painting shows the vibrant ending of the short life of the artist. The watermelons features rich color, contrast, angles and curves. | |
| Why was the artwork created? The artist inscribed the word “Viva la Vida” on the centre of the melon wedge at the bottom of the painting. This explains the “long live life” eight days before she died. The painting depicts the message that watermelons have hard shells that protects the soft flesh inside. When a person bite into the fruit they experience juicy, cool, and sweetness. Watermelon symbolizes the artist herself who develop a thick skin as her life marked with physical pain, harsh criticism of her art, and troubled marriage. However, in the painting once the shell is opened it reveals an inner lifer that is fresh, sweet, and vibrant. Also includes many seeds of watermelons symbolizes fertility as well as immortality. Once the fruit is gone the seed promises the new life forward. (Frida Kahlo, 2022) |
Art #3: The Bus
| Art #3 | Questions |
| When was the artwork made? Originally titled as Al Camion the artwork was made in year 1929 in Dolores Olmedo Collection Mexico City. | |
| How was the artwork made? The artwork was made with oil pastels and canvas with dimensions of 26 x 55.5 cm. The painting shows that some people are sitting side by side on a wooden bench in a one bus that represents the different classes of people in Mexican society. | |
| What is the style of the artwork? The style of the painting is Naïve Art (primitivism). Depicting genre painting. | |
| Why was the artwork created? The painting was created to depict the Diego Rivera’s impact on the artist’s political attitudes. The painting shows the different classes in Mexican society. From left to right there is a housewife with basket, a blue-collar guy in work clothes, and a barefoot Indian mother with baby, a little boy, a businessman, and a young girl as Frida herself. The artwork demonstrates the sympathy for the dispossessed as the artist painted the Indian mother as Madonna like and the blue eyes representation for the capitalist. The artwork also demonstrate the bus accident happened in 1925 and changed the artist’s life. (FridaKahlo, 2022) |
Art #1: Self-portrait with Bonito
| Reflection | Art viewing: Write your own questions for the artwork below |
| Contemplating features of an experience or artwork | What could be done with the colors and shapes to make the picture less surreal and more realistic? |
| Enlarging the experience and enhancing its meaning; include the elements and principles of artwork using correct terminology | Does the change in the parrot’s color has boosted the emphasis principle of the artwork? |
| Developing insights and a deeper understanding | What elements and principles of artwork could be used to develop free-flowing and open-mindedness? |
| Promoting decision-making and projection into future/imaging alternatives. | How dimensions can be changed to make picture less flat? (Courtney, O’Hearn, & Franck, 2017) |
Art #2: Viva la Vida watermelons
| Reflection | Art viewing: Write your own questions for the artwork below |
| Contemplating features of an experience or artwork | What features could be added to increase make movement in the picture? |
| Enlarging the experience and enhancing it meaning; include the elements and principles of artwork using correct terminology | How the texture can be smoothen out to enhance the surface quality? |
| Developing insights and deeper understanding | What element in the picture transcend the natural path of earthly pain? |
| Promoting decision-making and projection into future/imaging alternatives. | Does the picture portrays the visual elements that were intendedto illustrate? (Lindauer, 2011) |
Art #3: The Bus
| Reflection | Art viewing: Write your own questions for the artwork below |
| Contemplating features of an experience or artwork | What other diversity can be added in the painting? |
| Enlarging the experience and enhancing it meaning; include the elements and principles of artwork using correct terminology | Does adding more vibrancy and contrast can enhance and enlarge the experience of artwork? |
| Developing insights and deeper understanding | What elements can be added to make it more culturally appropriate? |
| Promoting decision-making and projection into future/imaging alternatives. | Can the picture be made more artistic style than the subject matter? (The Art of Education, 2022) |
Relevant Educational Tools/Resources
The relevant educational tools and resources required are:
- The environment that is the land reforms, desserts, or weather conditions
- The people that will give inspiration for painting (NGA, 2022)
- The art of Frida Kahlo that is the use of oil paints
- Collection of different natural elements to use in the picture
- The basic materials such as pencils, erasers, paper, canvas, aisle.
- Masonite board (Brittney, 2021)
References
Alvarado, E. (2022, January 4). Frida Kahlo Art for Kids (With Coloring Pages, Lessons, and Projects). Spanish Mama. Retrieved 2022, from https://spanishmama.com/frida-kahlo-art-for-kids/
Artstory. (2022). Frida Kahlo Biography, Life & Quotes. The Art Story. Retrieved 2022, from https://www.theartstory.org/artist/kahlo-frida/life-and-legacy/
Brittney. (2021, November 16). What Type Of Painting Tools Did Frida Kahlo Use? – ArtRadarJournal.com. Art Radar Journal. Retrieved 2022, from https://artradarjournal.com/2021/11/16/what-type-of-painting-tools-did-frida-kahlo-use/#6
Courtney, C. A., O’Hearn, M. A., & Franck, C. C. (2017). Frida Kahlo: portrait of chronic pain. Physical therapy, 97(1), 90-96.
Frida Kahlo. (2022). Viva la Vida, Watermelons – by Frida Kahlo. FridaKahlo.Org. Retrieved 2022, from https://www.fridakahlo.org/viva-la-vida-watermelons.jsp#prettyPhoto FridaKahlo. (2022). The Bus, 1929 by Frida Kahlo. Fridakahlo.Org/the-Bus. Retrieved 2022, from https://www.fridakahlo.org/the-bus.jsp
FridaKahlo. (2022). Frida Kahlo biography. FridaKahlo.Org. Retrieved 2022, from https://www.fridakahlo.org/frida-kahlo-biography.jsp
Kahlo.org. (2022). Self Portrait with Bonito by Frida Kahlo. Self Portrait with Bonito. Retrieved 2022, from https://www.kahlo.org/self-portrait-with-bonito/#:%7E:text=Frida%20used%20this%20painting%20to,shoulder%20who%20had%20also%20passed.
Lindauer, M. A. (2011). Devouring Frida: The art history and popular celebrity of Frida Kahlo. Wesleyan University Press.
NGA. (2022). Emily Kame Kngwarreye. National Gallery of Australia. Retrieved 2022, from https://nga.gov.au/exhibitions/emily-kame-kngwarreye/
The Art of Education. (2022). The Principles of Design The tools to plan and organize artwork. https://theartofeducation.edu/
