Frida Kahlo: The Paintings (Paperback)

~ Hayden Herrera (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Frida Kahlo's extraordinary life and revolutionary art continue to bear fruit with two superb new books, coming quickly on the heels of Martha Zamora's acclaimed Frida Kahlo: The Brush of Anguish ( LJ 1/91). Lowe's biography, the first in a promising new series on women artists, is a succinct, insightful profile of the Mexican painter, combining a biographical chapter with an extended discussion of the self-portraits that make up the core of her oeuvre. Without becoming mired in florid language, Lowe cogently describes the biographical contexts of individual paintings and draws our attention to Kahlo's frequent employment of pre-Columbian symbolism. Lowe goes on to separate Kahlo's art from her biography in an extended analysis of the art historical setting within which she worked. This approach revitalizes the paintings, placing Kahlo's work in such explicitly Latin American traditions as retablo iconography and agitprop from the Left and also demonstrating the obsession of European Surrealists with "primitive" art. Herrera's ( Frida , LJ 1/83) beautifully produced book is laden with large color plates and dozens of photos of Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and their cronies. It improves upon Zamora by providing perhaps the most direct analysis of Kahlo's life and art within one volume to date. The two books are essential for any library without a Kahlo monograph, and for those having already purchased Zamora's biography, Lowe's economical paperback is an excellent supplementary text.
- Douglas F. Smith, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Engaging and well illustrated." -- Wall Street Journal

"Perhaps the most direct analysis of Frida Kahlo's life and art within one volume to date." -- Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (September 3, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060923199
• ISBN-13: 978-0060923198
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #316,868 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating, May 26, 2000

By	Elizabeth S. (St. Paul, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

The book, as noted, focuses on her paintings and covers a wide spectrum of her work. I couldn't put it down. I was captivated by Frida's work, and the comments, stories and history added by the author were excellent - relevant, interesting and informative. I recommend it to anyone interested in this fascinating and unique paintor.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary life in art, February 8, 2005

By	Shalini Sinha - See all my reviews

I know nothing about Mexico or about paintings. And I am least interested to read biographies. Still I found myself intriguied by Frida Kahlo who is a Mexican painter and picked this biography on her life. Her life is very extraordinary as I found out when I watched this movie on her starring Salma Hayek. And I loved this book because it told the story of her through her paintings.
Its her paintings which make you wanna ask questions, for her paintings are not about pretty flowers or landscape or fishes in the oceans. Many of her paintings are in fact shocking in the way that they are too direct and poignant, and splattered with a lot of blood but still they are not asking for any sympathy or anything at all. Frida was a very talented woman who could make striking poetry on canvas. She painted everything with an element of her in it.... her emotions, her pain, her longing and her feelings. She is all about strength, strong will, determination,and pride. She did not try to do right or wrong thing but live her life her own way, on her rules, a woman who made herself memorable and a legend through her paintings. She inspires because of her gritty life.
This book is very engrossing read on Frida's life as seen through her paintings.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice, December 10, 2002

By	LD "LD" (West Palm Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews

This is a very nice combination of biographical information and art. A little of both keeps the book interesting. The quality is very good and I was a little surprised how nice the images were for the price.