“Los Das Kahlo” was painted in 1939 on oil on canvas. It measures 173 x 173cm in size and is housed in Mexico’s Museum of Modern Art. We first see the double self-portrait of Fridas, which shows them sitting on a bench. Both Fridas are linked by their hearts which can be seen through their clothing. Both Fridas are also connected by their hearts via their arteries. Both Fridas are wearing different clothes styles. The European Frida shows her white dress stained by blood from a cut artery. The Mexican Frida displays her complete heart. The duality of Frida is evident in this painting. Composition. Frida Kahlo prefers linear perspective. The point where the palms of all Fridas merge is called the “vanishing point”. This creates the feeling of ambivalence, which in this instance, is her own. The vast comparison between the stormy sky and the burning earth reveals the duality of heaven and earth. It is important to note the difference in these two elements. All aspects of the “two Fridas” composition are influenced by duality. Historical context: This particular piece was painted in 1939. This is a very important year for Mexican history. Lazaro Cardinalas became Mexico’s president. His government supported the republic from the beginning of Civil War. The main goal was to rescue all Spanish-speaking rebels from France and to liberate them from war and French camps. 25% of the exiles were elite intellectuals. Mexico became the home of Spain, which allowed them to continue their studies and painting in a protected environment. Mexican art looked for a national identity, and after the 1919 revolution, a movement called muralism was created. They carried the murals into public buildings and taught the story and the ideology for a new Mexico, which absorbed the riches of the past and its folklore. Frida shares her personal experiences through her art. It is the present she is living, how it is translated and how it affects others. She painted after her divorce. (Las dos Fridas) can be found in Surrealism (1939). Surrealists do not need to reproduce truth. Instead, they prefer to capture the reality of their subjects. Frida is able to make stunning paintings using her personal studies. Frida’s approach is different than the surrealists. She doesn’t try to capture her thoughts or liberate her unconscious. Instead she uses surrealism to convey her struggles. Frida, for example, uses the collage to place the hearts in the chests of the Fridas. It makes the two Fridas appear superimposed. Frida Kahlo was trying to communicate or alternatively express her deep pain due to a complex relationship that ended. The other is a woman who has been in love once before, and she holds in her left hand a small portrait of her lover. Both are linked by a vein, which connects to the past.
