When Frida Kahlo died in 1954, she left behind a slender oeuvre. It consists of 143 paintings of small size, rarely larger than 20 x 30 inches, many of them now considered icons of 20th century art, most of them self-portraits. The reasons for this ostensible narcissism were closely bound up with Kahlo's biography, with the country and epoch in which she grew up, and with her decidedly eccentric character. It was no coincidence that the major enigmatic minds of the 16th century, namely Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the Elder, were among her favorite painters. For Frida Kahlo never displayed her wounds directly--be it the physical wounds caused by accidents and illness, or the psychological inner wounds. Hers is a subtly enciphered symbolic language, rich in metaphors drawn from almost all the world's cultures. Aztec myths of creation, Far Eastern and Classical Greek mythology, and popular Catholic beliefs all mingle in Kahlo's pictures with Mexican folklore and the stuff of quotidian life, with Marx and Freud. Andr Breton, one of her many admirers among the European avant-garde, once described Kahlo's art as a "colored ribbon round a bomb." Exotic and explosive, sensuous and fascinatingly vital in terms of artistic statement, Kahlo's paintings shed a complex and often frightening light on her soul, her "inner reality," as she called it. If the incessant commercial marketing of Kahlo's paintings over the past decade has obscured a clear view of her extraordinary oeuvre, this present monograph attempts to make amends. Frida Kahlo: The Painter and Her Work returns to the heart, to 42 select masterpieces, reproduced in full and in detail. The painterly quality, the beauty, and the immense wealth of details in Kahlo's paintings is laid out before the reader's eyes, as is the abyss in which the artist found herself.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Frida Kahlo (1907-1958 in Coyoacán, a suburb of Mexico City), took up painting after an accident at the age of 18 from which she continued to suffer for the rest of her life. A political and cultural activist married to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, she became a legendary figurehead of new Mexican art and woman painting. Helga Prignitz-Poda is an art historian and freelance curator specializing in Mexican art. She is the co-editor of Frida Kahlo. Das Gesamtwerk.
--This text refers to the
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FRIDA The painter and her work , a review by Cheryl Millard,
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This review is from: Frida Kahlo: The Painter And Her Work (Hardcover)
As a true affianado of Frida Kahlo, her art, her life ,I am always looking for new publications about her as well as the circumstances surrounding it.I must say that I had doubts as I waited for the arrival of this grand scale book,as what hasn't been said before.Well the day finally arrived and as I pulled it out of its wrapping I knew I was in for a pleasant surprise that was not anticipated.Once inside there are not alot of photographs of her in "Frida the painter and her work" as there are numerous books already dealing only with that subject matter.But the photographs that are used help you set a minds eye of the people surrounding her life.The text is well written and fresh and offers a new understanding of the symbolism she used in her paintings.Prignitz-Poda weaves the well read Fridas historical understandings of world mythology,eastern studies and the local Aztec belief system, these along with her injury,sorrows and often crazy relationship with the one true love of her life Diego Rivera (he was said upon her passing to have instantly aged) she created some of the most loved paintings of our time.Prignitz-Poda offers a fresh look at her art through the authors broad knowledge of mythlogy, religous practices and anthropological male-female relationships in our various cultures, past and present.Enough of the dry stuff lets get on to the book itself. It is an amazing coffee table presentation complete with a beautifully constructed slip cover cloth covered with two details of Kahlos paintings adorning either side,gold stamped on the spine.The book has a thick glossy dust cover that protects the beautiful red cloth covering with FRIDA KAHLO embossed red on red on the front cover ,the spine is gold embossed as is with the slip cover and Inside the paintings are depicted complete and uncropped, then followed with a series of detailed close ups that supports the authors interpretation.The paintings are faithfully reproduced for color and crisp detail right down to the brush strokes as the artist had intended them to be seen.Too often publications will remove such detail thinking that brush strokes is a destraction to the eye when in fact it is removing the realism of the painting often leaving a blurred photographic rendition .Frida was all about realism even if it was her own reality and the imagnative world surrounding it, the author faithfullly captures the artists intent as to her own (Kahlos)realism.The reproductions are truely superb in all aspects.
I would recommend this well written book for its fresh approach regarding her paintings and life without rehashing the sensationalism surrounding her life,the faithful color reproductions and the archival-like quality in the construction of the book is outstanding,It is a true must have for the Frida collector or for those just starting out on a labor of love.
1.0 out of 5 stars
would not recommend... poor image quality throughout.,
By Carol Lee (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Frida Kahlo: The Painter and Her Work (Paperback)
just got this delivered to me and my excitement was quickly erased by the discovery of low-resolution, pixelated photographs and plates throughout the book. this is essentially an image-drivine artist book so the use of such poor-quality reproductions is very disappointing. it's simply not well-made. and the fact that no editor caught this mistake tells me that it was put together unprofessionally. if you expect a catalog-grade art book stay away from this one. the writing in it maybe top-notch but overall this book needs to be re-printed. this is going straight back to the warehouse.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frida,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Frida Kahlo: The Painter And Her Work (Hardcover)
As an potential art historian I found this book wonderful for two reasons. The plates are beautiful and large and the text is fascinating and unearths a different
view of this cultural icon.
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