Frida Kahlo: The Painter And Her Work (Hardcover)

~ Helga Prignitz-Poda (Author), Frida Kahlo (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

When Friday 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 Hieronymous 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. André 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.

I was considered a Surrealist. That is not right. I never painted dreams. What I depicted was my reality. --Frida Kahlo Essay by Helga Prignitz-Poda.

Slipcased, 11 x 13 in. / 280 pgs / 180 color.

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 an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. (October 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891024957
• ISBN-13: 978-1891024955
• Product Dimensions: 14 x 11.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #593,777 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FRIDA The painter and her work , a review by Cheryl Millard, June 18, 2006

By	Cheryl Millard "Inner Winds" (Silverdale ,WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Different Kind of Kahlo Book..., September 10, 2007

By	M. Brooks "Frida Kahlo - Amrita Sher-Gil Fan" (Sacramento, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Frida Kahlo: Life and Work (Hardcover)

The first 70 pages of text in this oversized book are divided into 5 sections:

1. Childhood 1907 - 1925
2. After the Accident
3. Frida and Diego's Marriage
4. Crazy Love 1941 - 1946
5. After 1946

Each section contains a biography, chronology and photos of that period of her life. The remainder of the book contains the plates...42 of her masterpiece paintings reproduced in full color and detail. Sections of the paintings are enlarged to reveal the intricate detail, the brush strokes and even the texture of the canvas. A descriptive analysis of each painting is included to provide an insight into its meaning and her inspiration to create the piece.

I find that some of the painting commentaries in this book are contrary to those I have read in other books. The author of this book sees the paintings from a slightly different perspective. I'm not sure I agree with some of them but everybody sees art in their own way.

This edition is presented in a beautiful stamped-linen, casebound box.
The format, content and size of this book are very similar to the large Kahlo book by Luis-Martín Lozano. The suggested retail price for this book is $125.00.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five starts for a five star artist, July 17, 2007

By	Df Botha "Hadeda" (Pretoria, South Africa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Frida Kahlo: Life and Work (Hardcover)

As a keen admirer of Frida and somebody who buys almost every publication, art print, postcard or artifact of Frida I can ensure you that this book is worth buying.

Well presented on glossy paper! The real value of the book is that it presents Frida's work in their original size even more valuable and what is truly unique is that parts/sections of her paintings is emphasized by focussing on small details in her paintings which usually goes unnoticed by the untrained eye!

Truly a prozed possession!