''Memory, the Heart'', a 1937 painting by
Frida Kahlo
Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, ...
, depicts the pain and anguish Kahlo experienced during and after an affair between her husband, artist
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...
, and her sister,
Cristina Kahlo
Cristina Kahlo y Calderón (1908–1964) was the sister of artist Frida Kahlo. Frida painted a portrait of Cristina, titled ''Portrait of Cristina, My Sister'', and Diego Rivera, Frida's husband, also portrayed Cristina Kahlo in his work. Cristina ...
.
The painting is sometimes known by the title ''Recuerdo'' (''Memory''). The oil-on-metal work measures 40 x 28 cm, and is held in the collection of Michel Petitjean in Paris, France.
Description
Kahlo portrays herself standing on a beach by the water's edge, one foot on the sand and one in the sea, looking towards the viewer with an expressionless face covered in tears. A metal rod goes through a large empty space in her chest. The rod has an image of
Cupid
In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
at each end, shown as if riding a
seesaw
A seesaw (also known as a teeter-totter or teeterboard) is a long, narrow board supported by a single pivot point, most commonly located at the midpoint between both ends; as one end goes up, the other goes down. These are most commonly found a ...
. Frida's heart is represented by a large bleeding mutilated organ lying outside her body. The blood from the heart seeps into the sand and flows into the sea. Two dresses, one a schoolgirl dress, the other her traditional
Tehuantepec
Tehuantepec (, in full, Santo Domingo Tehuantepec) is a city and municipality in the southeast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region. The area was important in pre Hispanic period ...
-style costume, hang near Frida; not empty, they contain one human arm apiece. The schoolgirl dress arm reaches for but does not touch Frida, while the arm in the Tehauna dress supports the armless and immobile artist.
These symbols and others in the painting show the artist's immense pain, and her personal emotional damage and rebuilding, resulting from the affair between her sister and husband.
''Memory, the Heart''
at fridakahlo.org
See also
* Broken heart
Broken heart (also known as a heartbreak or heartache) is a metaphor for the intense emotional stress or pain one feels at experiencing great and deep longing. The concept is cross-cultural, often cited with reference to unreciprocated or lost ...
* List of paintings by Frida Kahlo
The following is a list of significant paintings by the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. It does not include drawings, studies, or watercolors.
The authenticity of ''When I Have You, Life, How Much I Love You'' and ''How Beautiful Life is When It ...
References
External links
''Memory, the Heart''
at fridakahlofans.com, which contains another picture of the painting.
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Paintings of Cupid
Paintings by Frida Kahlo
1937 paintings
Paintings in Paris
Water in art
Self-portraits