Mini Post

Kahlo's Portfolio

What I saw in the water, 1938, Frida Kahlo

I've chosen the painting above because unlike her other art pieces, it lacks a dominating focus. Instead, it includes various elements of her life depicted in her reflection within a bathtub. It can be observed that this painting reflects the pain and happiness she carries within herself, the memories that have molded her womanhood, along with an outlook on her desired future. To her friend Julien Levy, Kahlo shares that this painting is "an image of passing time about time and childhood games in the bathtub and the sadness of what had happened to her in the course of her life." For example, the physical pain she delt with is depicted by the elements painted on her right leg. Such elements are in relation to that of death, destruction, and pain, correlated to the amputation she would have to get in the future. 

To Kahlo, the most relatable image would be that of the one-legged quetzal punctured over the tree, due to the fact that she was left just as impacted after her trolly accident. Not only does the bird relate to her physical appearance, but it also relates to her culture, specifically to the Quetzalcoatl, an Aztec deity who is believed to have been the principal Aztec god. Additionally, the desert plants,  succulents, and elongated roots are also linked to her Aztec roots, of which she is extremely prideful over. By including these plants, Kahlo essentially describes herself to be a strong woman able to flourish, even in poor conditions. The purpose of including Aztec symbolism was to represent her desire for the renewal of pre-Columbian times when Mexico independently held its own identity. It is evident that the cultural issue in this piece lies within the extinguishment of the Aztec culture.

The volcano swallowing the United States Empire Building shares the destruction and chaos that would occur upon demolition of the American Culture, an idea that Kahlo favored as her perspective of the future. Finally, the inclusion of a Tehuana dress offers linkage to her Tehuana legacy and her Mexican Heritage. It is a dress whose origin comes from the Tehuantepec Isthmus SE of Mexico. For these types of dresses, the adornment is most reflected from the torso up, especially with the inclusion of jewelry, headpiece, flowers, and ribbons. This was the preferred style of Kahlo, which allowed her to uphold her cultural identity and offered a sense of comfort when feeling emotionally distraught. 

“What the Water Gave Me.” What the Water Gave Me by Frida Kahlo, 2019, www.kahlo.org/what-the-water-gave-me/.