Frida Kahlo's 'A Few Small Nips'

Before the Mexican revolution, the lives of women have changed drastically over the last century. This includes: their work, family life, political participation, health care and educational opportunities. Before, it was a woman’s duty to take care of the family, house hold duties and the health of the children. By the 20th century so much had change for females in Mexico, this was the beginning of a more independent role for women. Before the revolution not so many women participated in Mexican art until the post-world war two period; when Mexico became an industrializing capitalist nation. For the most part of the 20th century female artists such as Maria Izquierdo, Frida Kahlo and Elizabeth Catlett inspired the new Mexica revolution of art.
Kahlo explored the reality of being a Mexican woman and the struggle females to go through. In her painting A Few Small Nips (Figure 2), Kahlo explored the idea of the lower role of women in Mexico and how they were continually abused in most cases, this was one of the bloodiest paintings Frida ever painted. It shows a woman who was brutally murdered. This painting was morbid and unpleasant to look at. This painting could possibly symbolize what Frida was going through physically and emotionally, the pain she felt after being betrayed by her husband and her sister; Diego and Christina. This painting was inspired by a real theme based on a newspaper account of a man who stabbed his girlfriend 20 times. These abuses by men usually left women tortured and weak. She forces viewers to see beyond what women go through in the hands of men; betrayal and abuse. Her art and life usually showed the ongoing struggle for self-determination in the lives of women. Kahlo’s art work consisted of pregnancy, heartbreak, abuse and conception making these subjects a political matter because women could not freely talk about these things in public, they could not express themselves courageously. In Rivera art work Distributing Arms (fig.2.1), he portrays political public figures that were very active within the communist party. Frida Kahlo appears in the center, leading
Catlett has played an important role in feminism and has changed views on feminist through her artwork by introducing art works that empowers women and stands for their political issues and social justice. Most of her work symbolizes the hardship and the appreciation of women in society. One of her famous works represents the privation African-American women had to face based on their historical context. One of Catlett we’ve looked at in class titled “Harriet” shows an African-American woman leading slaves into their freedom and standing for their rights. She represents a strong female leader. Harriet Tubman as we see in (Figure 3) is the center of the art work, we see her stretching out her arms and given out direction to freedom. In this art work Harriet depicts the struggle and experience African-American had to go through. The art piece of Harriet Tubman, who is not only considered African American, but also a woman who fights for social justice and the right of others. This inspires women to fight for their rights and to set a good example for other females to be concerned about social justice as