Frida Kahlo And The Mexican Revolution

Although born in 1907, renowned Mexican painter Frida Kahlo claimed to have been born in 1910, the date of the start of the Mexican Revolution. This national rebellion proved such an integral part of the artist’s life and work, that she correlates her entrance into the world with the moment in which the Mexican people began to act in force to restore their land to the hands of its citizens. “The wars, battles, and reforms lasted well into Frida’s later teens; this was particularly influential because the rebelliousness exhibited by her heroes inspired her to develop social awareness and rebellious characteristics of her own (Art Through Time).” She joined a political group at the school she was attending and eventually this lead to her evolving
into an active Communist. At age 15, Kahlo witnessed Diego Rivera painting the Creation mural (1922) in the amphitheater of the Preparatory School, a moment of infatuation and fascination for the young artist that she would pursue later in life. After recovering from the bus accident, Frida learned that Diego was painting another mural at the Ministry of Education in Mexico City. Although she did not know him personally, she admired him and his work enormously, so much that she wanted his opinion of her own work. She bundled up four of her paintings, boarded a bus and set out for the Ministry building. When Frida arrived she recalls, "I was bold enough to call him so that he would come down from the scaffolding to see my paintings and to tell me sincerely whether or not they were worth anything (Cottom).” A gifted painter and muralist, Diego Rivera was also a political activist; many of the sumptuous murals he created in Mexico and throughout the world speak of politics, history, and the worker's struggle. Considered one of the 20th century's major artistic figures.