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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. Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. She is also known for painting about her experience of chronic pain.

Early years

Later years, health issues and death, recognition, personal life, frida kahlo quotes, interesting facts about frida kahlo, commemorations, solo exhibitions, images for kids.

Born to a German father and a mestiza mother, Kahlo spent most of her childhood and adult life at La Casa Azul, her family home in Coyoacán – now publicly accessible as the Frida Kahlo Museum . Although she was disabled by polio as a child, Kahlo had been a promising student headed for medical school. Due to polio, Kahlo began school later than her peers. Along with her younger sister Cristina, she attended the local kindergarten and primary school in Coyoacán and was homeschooled for the fifth and sixth grades. While Cristina followed their sisters into a convent school, Kahlo was enrolled in a German school due to their father's wishes. She was soon expelled for disobedience.

Kahlo enjoyed art from an early age, receiving drawing instruction from printmaker Fernando Fernández (who was her father's friend) and filling notebooks with sketches.

A severe bus accident at the age of 18 left Kahlo in lifelong pain. Confined to bed for three months following the accident, Kahlo began to paint. She started to consider a career as a medical illustrator , as well, which would combine her interests in science and art.

Her mother provided her with a specially-made easel, which enabled her to paint in bed, and her father lent her some of his oil paints. She had a mirror placed above the easel, so that she could see herself. Painting became a way for Kahlo to explore questions of identity and existence. She explained, "I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best." She later stated that the accident and the isolating recovery period made her desire "to begin again, painting things just as [she] saw them with [her] own eyes and nothing more."

Most of the paintings Kahlo made during this time were portraits of herself, her sisters, and her schoolfriends.

In 1925, Kahlo began to work to help her family. She became a paid engraving apprentice for Fernández. He was impressed by her talent, although she did not consider art as a career at this time.

Kahlo spent the late 1920s and early 1930s travelling in Mexico and the United States withe her husband and fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera . During this time, she developed her artistic style, drawing her main inspiration from Mexican folk culture. She painted mostly small self-portraits that mixed elements from pre-Columbian and Catholic beliefs.

Her paintings raised the interest of surrealist artist André Breton , who arranged for Kahlo's first solo exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York in 1938; the exhibition was a success and was followed by another in Paris in 1939. While the French exhibition was less successful, the Louvre purchased a painting from Kahlo, The Frame , making her the first Mexican artist to be featured in their collection. Throughout the 1940s, Kahlo participated in exhibitions in Mexico and the United States and worked as an art teacher. She taught at the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado (" La Esmeralda ") and was a founding member of the Seminario de Cultura Mexicana . Kahlo's always-fragile health began to decline in the same decade. She had her first solo exhibition in Mexico in 1953, shortly before her death in 1954 at the age of 47.

Even as Kahlo was gaining recognition in Mexico, her health was declining rapidly, and an attempted surgery to support her spine failed. Her paintings from this period include Broken Column (1944), Without Hope (1945), Tree of Hope, Stand Fast (1946), and The Wounded Deer (1946), reflecting her poor physical state. During her last years, Kahlo was mostly confined to the Casa Azul. She painted mostly still lifes , portraying fruit and flowers with political symbols such as flags or doves.

Photographer Lola Alvarez Bravo understood that Kahlo did not have much longer to live, and thus staged her first solo exhibition in Mexico at the Galería Arte Contemporaneo in April 1953. Though Kahlo was initially not due to attend the opening, as her doctors had prescribed bed rest for her, she ordered her four-poster bed to be moved from her home to the gallery. To the surprise of the guests, she arrived in an ambulance and was carried on a stretcher to the bed, where she stayed for the duration of the party. The exhibition was a notable cultural event in Mexico and also received attention in mainstream press around the world. The same year, the Tate Gallery 's exhibition on Mexican art in London featured five of her paintings.

In 1954, Kahlo was again hospitalized in April and May. That spring, she resumed painting after a one-year interval. Her last paintings include the political Marxism Will Give Health to the Sick (c. 1954) and Frida and Stalin (c. 1954) and the still-life Viva La Vida (1954).

In 1950, Kahlo spent most of the year in Hospital ABC in Mexico City, where she underwent a new bone graft surgery on her spine. It caused a difficult infection and necessitated several follow-up surgeries. After being discharged, she was mostly confined to La Casa Azul, using a wheelchair and crutches to be ambulatory. During these final years of her life, Kahlo dedicated her time to political causes to the extent that her health allowed. She had rejoined the Mexican Communist Party in 1948 and campaigned for peace, for example, by collecting signatures for the Stockholm Appeal.

Kahlo's right leg was amputated at the knee due to gangrene in August 1953. She became severely depressed and anxious, and her dependency on painkillers escalated.

In her last days, Kahlo was mostly bedridden with bronchopneumonia , though she made a public appearance on 2 July 1954, participating with Rivera in a demonstration against the CIA invasion of Guatemala. She seemed to anticipate her death, as she spoke about it to visitors and drew skeletons and angels in her diary. The last drawing was a black angel, which biographer Hayden Herrera interprets as the Angel of Death. It was accompanied by the last words she wrote, "I joyfully await the exit – and I hope never to return – Frida" ("Espero Alegre la Salida – y Espero no Volver jamás").

The demonstration worsened her illness, and on the night of 12 July 1954, Kahlo had a high fever and was in extreme pain. At approximately 6 a.m. on 13 July 1954, her nurse found her dead in her bed. Kahlo was 47 years old. The official cause of death was pulmonary embolism, although no autopsy was performed.

On the evening of 13 July, Kahlo's body was taken to the Palacio de Bellas Artes , where it lay in state under a Communist flag. The following day, it was carried to the Panteón Civil de Dolores, where friends and family attended an informal funeral ceremony. Hundreds of admirers stood outside. In accordance with her wishes, Kahlo was cremated. Rivera, who stated that her death was "the most tragic day of my life", died three years later, in 1957. Kahlo's ashes are displayed in a pre-Columbian urn at La Casa Azul, which opened as a museum in 1958.

Kahlo's work as an artist remained relatively unknown until the late 1970s, when her work was rediscovered by art historians and political activists. By the early 1990s, she had become a recognized figure in art history. She was also regarded as an icon for Chicanos , the feminism movement, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Kahlo's work has been celebrated internationally as emblematic of Mexican national and indigenous traditions.

Kahlo's interests in politics and art led her to join the Mexican Communist Party in 1927, through which she met fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera . The couple married in 1929. He was 42 and she was 22.

The couple divorced in 1939, but remarried December 8, 1940, in San Francisco, California. A year after Kahlo's death, on July 29, 1955, Rivera married Emma Hurtado, his agent since 1946.

Kahlo and Rivera had no children together.

• "They thought I was a Surrealist , but I wasn’t. I never painted dreams . I painted my own reality ."
• "I paint flowers so they will not die."
• "At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can."
• "Nothing is worth more than laughter."
• "The most important part of the body is the brain. Of my face, I like the eyebrows and eyes."
• Frida was born in Mexico , but her father was German .
• Her name was originally spelled "Frieda". "Friede" means "peace" in German.
• Frida survived both polio and a bus crash.
• She married a man with a name even longer than hers. Her husband's full name was Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez.
• She exaggerated her facial hair in her self-portraits .
• Because of the bright clothing she wore, she was asked by children, "Where’s the circus?"
• She was born and died in the same house, called "La Casa Azul" (The Blue House), which is now known as Frida Kahlo Museum .

Kahlo's legacy has been commemorated in several ways:

• La Casa Azul , her home in Coyoacán, was opened as a museum in 1958, and has become one of the most popular museums in Mexico City, with approximately 25,000 visitors monthly.
• The city dedicated a park, Parque Frida Kahlo, to her in Coyoacán in 1985. The park features a bronze statue of Kahlo.
• In the United States, she became the first Hispanic woman to be honored with a U.S. postage stamp in 2001.
• She was inducted into the Legacy Walk, an outdoor public display in Chicago that celebrates LGBT history and people, in 2012.
• Kahlo received several commemorations on the centenary of her birth in 2007.
• Notable artists such as Marina Abramovic , Alana Archer, Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso, Yasumasa Morimura, Cris Melo, Rupert Garcia, and others have used or appropriated Kahlo's imagery into their own works.
• Kahlo's life and art have inspired artists in various fields. Kahlo has also been the subject of several stage performances.
• In 2018, Mattel unveiled seventeen new Barbie dolls in celebration of International Women's Day , including one of Kahlo. Critics objected to the doll's slim waist and noticeably missing unibrow.
• In 2018, San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to rename Phelan Avenue to Frida Kahlo Way. Frida Kahlo Way is the home of City College of San Francisco and Archbishop Riordan High School.
• In 2019, Frida was featured on a mural painted by Rafael Blanco in downtown Reno, Nevada.
• In 2019, Frida's “Fantasmones Siniestros” (“Sinister Ghosts”) was burned to ashes, publicizing an Ethereum NFT.
• In 2022, as part of a collaboration with Centre Pompidou , Swatch released a watch based on The Frame .
• 4 January 2022 onwards Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon at Barangaroo Reserve , Sydney . Audio visual exhibition created by the Frida Kahlo Corporation.
• 8 February – 12 May 2019 – Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving at the Brooklyn Museum . This was the largest U.S. exhibition in a decade devoted solely to the painter and the only U.S. show to feature her Tehuana clothing, hand-painted corsets and other never-before-seen items that had been locked away after the artist's death and rediscovered in 2004.
• 16 June – 18 November 2018 – Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The basis for the later Brooklyn Museum exhibit.
• 3 February – 30 April 2016 – Frida Kahlo: Paintings and Graphic Art From Mexican Collections at the Faberge Museum, St. Petersburg. Russia's first retrospective of Kahlo's work.
• 27 October 2007 – 20 January 2008 – Frida Kahlo an exhibition at the Walker Art Center , Minneapolis, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 20 February – 18 May 2008; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art , 16 June – 28 September 2008.
• 1–15 November 1938 – Frida's first solo exhibit and New York debut at the Museum of Modern Art . Georgia O'Keeffe, Isamu Noguchi, and other prominent American artists attended the opening; approximately half of the paintings were sold.

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940), Harry Ransom Center

Kahlo (on the right) and her sisters Cristina, Matilde, and Adriana, photographed by their father, 1916

Kahlo with husband Diego Rivera in 1932

Frida photographed in 1932 by her father, Guillermo

Kahlo and Rivera's houses in San Ángel; they lived there from 1934 until their divorce in 1939, after which it became his studio

1937 photograph by Toni Frissell, from a fashion shoot for Vogue

Effigy of Kahlo for Day of the Dead at the Museo Frida Kahlo

• This page was last modified on 20 July 2024, at 22:21. Suggest an edit .

Who Was Frida Kahlo? Biography for Children

• January 23, 2022
• Art , History

Frida Kahlo was one of the most famous Mexican artists of the 1900s . She was especially recognized for her disturbing style and her many smileless self-portraits. She often included skulls, daggers, and bleeding hearts in her paintings.

Who was Frida Kahlo?

Table of Contents

Frida Kahlo de Rivera (1907-1954) lived with her parents and her three sisters in a blue house that is currently a museum.

Frida Kahlo’s childhood

Kahlo was born and died in the same “Blue House” in Mexico City . Her father was of German descent and her mother was Amerindian. When Frida was 18 years old, she was riding a bus that crashed into a tram. The young girl spent three months in a cast that covered her entire body. Despite having fully regained her ability to walk she spent most of her life suffering.

Although she was born in 1907, she told people that she was born 3 years later because she apparently wanted her life to be associated with the Mexican revolution. Frida was a fierce nationalist. This is evidenced in her art by the presence of particular symbols and objects of Mexican and Amerindian popular culture. Many describe Frida as a surrealist. She claimed that she was not painting dreams, but the painful reality of her life.

Frida Kahlo’s Family and Education

Frida Kahlo’s father, Wilhelm (also called Guillermo in Spanish) was a German photographer who had immigrated to Mexico. He met Kahlo’s mother, Matilde, and they were subsequently married. Wilhelm and Matilde had two daughters older than Frida, Matilde and Adriana, and a younger daughter, Cristina, who was born a year after Frida.

Why did Kahlo become a painter?

Around the age of six, Frida contracted polio, which is a disease that affects the spinal cord by atrophying the muscles. This caused her a paralysis that led to her being bedridden for nine months. While she was recovering from the illness she limped when walking. She had damaged her right leg and foot. Her father, to contribute to her recovery, encouraged her to play very unusual sports for a girl at that time. He encouraged her to play soccer, swim, and even fight.

In 1922, Frida enrolled in the famous National Preparatory School. She was one of the few female students there to become famous. She was recognized for her jovial spirit and her love of colorful and traditional clothing and jewelry.

While at school, Kahlo came into contact with a group of politically and intellectually oriented students. She thus she became a political activist. Kahlo joined the Young Communist League and the Mexican Communist Party .

Frida Kahlo’s Artistic Career

Although she never considered herself surrealist in 1938, she became friends with one of the leading figures in that literary and artistic movement, André Breton. That same year she had a major exhibition in a gallery in New York City. About half of the 25 paintings on display at the exhibition were sold. Kahlo received commissions, including one from the famous magazine editor Clare Boothe Luce as a result of the show.

What did Frida paint?

Kahlo changed her professional career from medicine after a serious accident. As part of her recovery, Kahlo underwent thirty-five operations. Her father lent her a box of oil paints and some brushes and her mother had a special easel built so she could paint in her bed.

Frida was inspired by traditional Mexican art because she was proud of her heritage. Mexican art is filled with symbolism in which bright colors predominate, including flowers, dances, and music. Kahlo painted animals in her self-portraits, such as monkeys, parrots, a hairless dog, and a deer.

Frida’s Influence and Legacy

In 1939, Kahlo went to live in Paris for a time. There she exhibited some of her paintings and developed friendships with artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso .

Although she received a commission from the Mexican government for five portraits of important Mexican women in 1941, she was unable to complete the project. She lost her beloved father that year and continued to suffer from chronic health problems. Despite her health problems and personal challenges, her work continued to grow in popularity and she was featured in numerous group shows around this time.

In 1953, she held her first show in Mexico. While she was bedridden at the time, she did not miss the opening of the exhibition. She attended by ambulance, spent the night chatting and celebrating with event attendees from the comfort of a four-poster bed that had been set up in the gallery for her. After Kahlo’s death, the feminist movement of the 1970s sparked a renewed interest in her life and work, as she Kahlo was seen by many as an icon of female creativity.

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Frida Kahlo Paintings for children

Many of Frida Kahlo’s works were self-portraits. Some of the most notable paintings of her include:

“Frida and Diego Rivera” (1931)

Kahlo exhibited this painting at the Sixth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Women Artists in San Francisco, the city where she lived with Rivera at the time. At work, painted two years after the couple married, Kahlo lightly holds Rivera’s hand while she holds a palette and brushes with the other. It’s a stiff and formal pose that hints at the couple’s future tumultuous relationship. The work is now in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art .

“Henry Ford Hospital” (1932)

In 1932, Kahlo incorporated graphic and surreal elements into her work. In this painting, Kahlo appears nude in a hospital bed with various items, a fetus, a snail, a flower, a pelvis and others. All floating around him connected with red threads that resemble veins . As with her previous self-portraits, this work is very personal, depicting the story of her second miscarriage.

Frida Kahlo, in her paintings, expressed her feelings and her ideology along with the pain caused by the surgeries performed after the accident. She also painted typical Mexican customs, landscapes and situations in her life where her family and friends appear in her pictures.

“The suicide of Dorothy Hale” (1939)

Kahlo was asked to paint a portrait of her mutual friend with Luce, actress Dorothy Hale who had committed suicide earlier that year by jumping from a tall building. The painting was intended as a gift to Hale’s grieving mother. However, instead of a traditional portrait, Kahlo painted the story of Hale’s tragic leap. Although the work has been appreciated by critics, her patron was horrified to see the finished painting.

“The two Fridas” (1939)

One of Kahlo’s most famous works shows two versions of the artist sitting side by side with both hearts exposed. One Frida is dressed mostly in white with a damaged heart and bloodstains on her clothes. The other wears brightly colored clothes and has an intact heart. These figures are believed to represent the “loveless” and “beloved” versions of Kahlo.

“The broken column” (1944)

Kahlo shared her physical challenges through her art again with this painting, which depicted a nearly nude Frida split in the middle of her, revealing her spine as a shattered decorative column. She also wears a surgical brace and her skin is studded with studs or nails. Around this time, Kahlo underwent several surgeries and wore special corsets to try to repair her back. She would continue to seek a variety of treatments for her chronic physical pain with little success.

Great Events: Frida and Diego Rivera

Frida’s life changed forever on September 17, 1925. While she was riding a bus in the city, her bus was hit by a streetcar. Several passengers died and she, Frida, suffered a severe injury that would send her to the hospital for a long time and confine her to bed for several months. Her injuries caused him ongoing pain and illness for the rest of her life and also ended her future in medicine.

During her recovery, Frida painted portraits of herself and of her close family and friends in most cases. In 1927, when Frida was finally able to socialize again, she attended a party where she met the much older and famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera . Diego, a member of the Communist Party, married Frida in 1929. Diego and Frida had a difficult marriage, even getting divorced at one point, although they eventually remarried.

Frida’s style, artistically and personally, began to change during this time. Frida began wearing traditional Mexican clothing to emphasize her connection to her roots and culture. Diego, of Mexican origin, was very supportive of Frida’s Mexican heritage and dress and also encouraged her art. Both were politically active, although they eventually left the communist party. Frida died in 1954 at the age of 47, after suffering further illness and suffering.

Frida Kahlo’s accident

On September 17, 1925, Kahlo and Alejandro Gómez Arias, a friend from school with whom she was romantically involved, were riding together on a bus when the vehicle collided with a streetcar. As a result of the collision, Kahlo was pierced by a steel railing, which got into her hip and exited the other side. She suffered several serious injuries as a result, including fractures to her spine and pelvis.

After staying at the Red Cross Hospital in Mexico City for several weeks, Kahlo returned home to continue her recovery. She began painting during her recovery and completed her first self-portrait the following year, which she gifted to Gómez Arias.

Frida Kahlo’s death

About a week after her 47th birthday, Kahlo passed away on July 13, 1954 in her beloved Blue House. There has been some speculation regarding the nature of her death. It was reported that she was caused by a pulmonary embolism, but there have also been stories about a possible suicide.

Kahlo’s health problems became almost exhausting in 1950. After she was diagnosed with gangrene on her right foot, Kahlo spent nine months in the hospital and had several operations during this time. She continued to paint and support political causes despite her limited mobility. In 1953, part of Kahlo’s right leg was amputated to stop the spread of gangrene.

Deeply depressed, Kahlo was hospitalized again in April 1954 for health problems or, as some reports indicated, for attempted suicide. She returned to the hospital two months later with bronchial pneumonia. Regardless of her physical condition, Kahlo didn’t let that get in the way of her political activism. Her last public appearance was a demonstration against the overthrow of US-backed Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz on July 2.

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Introduction

(1907–54). Mexican painter Frida Kahlo created intense, brilliantly colored self-portraits that incorporate such themes as identity, the human body, and death. She drew inspiration from her Mexican heritage and included native and religious symbols into her work. She twice married artist Diego Rivera , who both encouraged and influenced her painting.

Early Life and Work

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was born on July 6, 1907, in Coyoacán, Mexico. Her German father was of Hungarian descent, and her Mexican mother was of Spanish and Native American descent. As a child Kahlo suffered from  polio , which left her with a slight limp. Except for getting basic artistic training in her father’s photography studio and taking classes while a student, she was self-taught as an artist.

In 1925 Kahlo was involved in a bus accident that so seriously injured her that she underwent more than 30 operations during her lifetime. During her slow recovery from the trauma she began to paint. She showed her early efforts to Rivera, whom she had met a few years earlier, and he encouraged her to continue to paint. Nearly half of Kahlo’s works are self-portraits, in which she explores her identity as a woman, as a Mexican, and as an artist. Because of her ongoing medical problems, the portraits frequently portray her in physical agony.

Exhibitions

After Kahlo married Rivera in 1929, she traveled with him for a few years in the United States, where he had received commissions for several murals. Her time in the United States strengthened her Mexican nationalism, and after returning to Mexico she continued to champion Mexican national identity and culture. She was politically active as a communist and gave refuge to exiled Soviet leader Leon Trotsky in the late 1930s. Kahlo and Rivera’s relationship was intense, complex, and strained by many infidelities. They divorced in 1939 but remarried in 1940.

In 1938 Kahlo met André Breton , a leading surrealist , who championed her work. Both Breton and Marcel Duchamp were influential in arranging some of the exhibits of her work in the United States and Europe. Although Kahlo became identified as a surrealist, she denied that label. In 1943 she was appointed a professor of painting at La Esmeralda, the Education Ministry’s School of Fine Arts. After suffering from poor health for years because of her accident, Kahlo died on July 13, 1954, in Coyoacán.

Although Kahlo had achieved success as an artist in her lifetime, her reputation after her death steadily grew. Rivera had the house where Kahlo was born, lived, and died redesigned as the Frida Kahlo Museum. It was opened to the public in 1958. The Diary of Frida Kahlo , covering the years 1944–54, and The Letters of Frida Kahlo were both published in 1995. Frida , a movie about her life, was released in 2002, with Mexican actress Salma Hayek portraying Kahlo.

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Early years and bus accident

Marriage to diego rivera and travels to the united states, first solo exhibitions.

• The Two Fridas and later works
• The Frida Kahlo Museum and posthumous reputation

Who is Frida Kahlo?

• What was Surrealism and its goal?
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• Table Of Contents

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter best known for her uncompromising and brilliantly colored self-portraits that deal with such themes as identity, the human body, and death. Although she denied the connection, she is often identified as a Surrealist. She was also known for her tumultuous relationship with muralist Diego Rivera.

What tragic accident happened to Frida Kahlo?

In 1925 Frida Kahlo was involved in a bus accident, which so seriously injured her that she had to undergo more than 30 medical operations in her lifetime. During her slow recovery, Kahlo taught herself to paint and studied the art of the Old Masters.

When did Frida Kahlo paint Self-Portrait Wearing a Velvet Dress ?

Kahlo painted Self-Portrait Wearing a Velvet Dress, a regal waist-length portrait of herself against a dark background with roiling stylized waves, in 1926. Although the painting is fairly abstract, Kahlo’s soft modeling of her face shows her interest in realism.

Which of Frida Kahlo's paintings is displayed in the Louvre?

The Louvre acquired Frida Kahlo's work The Frame ( c. 1938), making her the first 20th-century Mexican artist to be included in the museum’s collection.

When was the Frida Kahlo Museum established?

After Kahlo’s death in 1954, Diego Rivera had redesigned Frida Kahlo's childhood home, La Casa Azul (“the Blue House”), in Coyoacán, as a museum dedicated to her life. The Frida Kahlo Museum opened to the public in 1958, a year after Rivera’s death.

Frida Kahlo (born July 6, 1907, Coyoacán , Mexico—died July 13, 1954, Coyoacán) was a Mexican painter best known for her uncompromising and brilliantly colored self-portraits that deal with such themes as identity, the human body , and death. Although she denied the connection, she is often identified as a Surrealist . In addition to her work, Kahlo was known for her tumultuous relationship with muralist Diego Rivera (married 1929, divorced 1939, remarried 1940).

Kahlo was born to a German father of Hungarian descent and a Mexican mother of Spanish and Native American descent. Later, during her artistic career, Kahlo explored her identity by frequently depicting her ancestry as binary opposites: the colonial European side and the indigenous Mexican side. As a child, she suffered a bout of polio that left her with a slight limp, a chronic ailment she would endure throughout her life. Kahlo was especially close to her father, who was a professional photographer, and she frequently assisted him in his studio, where she acquired a sharp eye for detail. Although Kahlo took some drawing classes, she was more interested in science , and in 1922 she entered the National Preparatory School in Mexico City with an interest in eventually studying medicine. While there she met Rivera, who was working on a mural for the school’s auditorium.

In 1925 Kahlo was involved in a bus accident, which so seriously injured her that she had to undergo more than 30 medical operations in her lifetime. During her slow recovery, Kahlo taught herself to paint, and she read frequently, studying the art of the Old Masters. In one of her early paintings, Self-Portrait Wearing a Velvet Dress (1926), Kahlo painted a regal waist-length portrait of herself against a dark background with roiling stylized waves. Although the painting is fairly abstract, Kahlo’s soft modeling of her face shows her interest in naturalism. The stoic gaze so prevalent in her later art is already evident, and the exaggeratedly long neck and fingers reveal her interest in the Mannerist painter Il Bronzino . After her convalescence, Kahlo joined the Mexican Communist Party (PCM), where she met Rivera once again. She showed him some of her work, and he encouraged her to continue to paint.

Soon after marrying Rivera in 1929, Kahlo changed her personal and painting style. She began to wear the traditional Tehuana dress that became her trademark. It consisted of a flowered headdress, a loose blouse, gold jewelry, and a long ruffled skirt. Her painting Frieda and Diego Rivera (1931) shows not only her new attire but also her new interest in Mexican folk art . The subjects are flatter and more abstract than those in her previous work. The towering Rivera stands to the left, holding a palette and brushes, the objects of his profession. He appears as an important artist, while Kahlo, who is petite and demure beside him, with her hand in his and painted with darker skin than in her earlier work, conveys the role she presumed he wanted: a traditional Mexican wife.

Kahlo painted that work while traveling in the United States (1930–33) with Rivera, who had received commissions for murals from several cities. During this time, she endured a couple of difficult pregnancies that ended prematurely. After suffering a miscarriage in Detroit and later the death of her mother, Kahlo painted some of her most-harrowing works. In Henry Ford Hospital (1932) Kahlo depicted herself hemorrhaging on a hospital bed amid a barren landscape, and in My Birth (1932) she painted a rather taboo scene of a shrouded woman giving birth.

In 1933 Kahlo and Rivera returned to Mexico , where they lived in a newly constructed house comprising separate individual spaces joined by a bridge. The residence became a gathering spot for artists and political activists, and the couple hosted the likes of Leon Trotsky and André Breton , a leading Surrealist who championed Kahlo’s work. Breton wrote the introduction to the brochure for her first solo exhibition, describing her as a self-taught Surrealist. The exhibition was held at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York in 1938, and it was a great success. The following year Kahlo traveled to Paris to show her work. There she met more Surrealists, including Marcel Duchamp , the only member she reportedly respected. The Louvre also acquired one of her works, The Frame (c. 1938), making Kahlo the first 20th-century Mexican artist to be included in the museum’s collection.

Spanish Mama

Teaching Spanish & Spanglish Living

Frida Kahlo Art for Kids (With Coloring Pages, Lessons, and Projects)

Inside : A collection of activities, self-portrait projects, biography, and a list of Frida Kahlo art for kids and students. 

Frida Kahlo is a famous Mexican artist, and perhaps the most famous female painter of all time.  

She is especially known for her self-portraits and traditional Mexican clothes. Her paintings are bold and full of emotions, and kids will be drawn to her colorful art full of pets and plants. 

She is a great introduction into surrealism and Mexican culture as well.

This post includes all kinds of resources and information for learning more about Frida Kahlo, especially with kids or in a school setting.

There’s a lot, so here’s an index of what’s included in the post. You can click on any link to jump straight to that section:

1. Frida Kahlo Art for Kids (Paintings) 2. Frida Kahlo Biography for Kids 3. Frida Kahlo Lesson Plans 4. Frida Kahlo Art Projects 5. Frida Kahlo Children’s Books 6. Videos About Frida Kahlo for Kids  

“ The boldness, imagination, and vision with which Kahlo approached her work and life made her an icon and legend—in art, and in for women or anyone exploring their individuality. She lived a bold life in her paintings and in her skin. “ The State of Women

Frida Kahlo Art for Kids

Many of Kahlo’s paintings aren’t meant for young children, and I recommend you proceed with caution even in high school.

However, there are definitely paintings that are school-friendly!

Here are titles of some famous Frida Kahlo art for kids that should be perfect for school or home :

• Self-Portrait with Bonito
• Viva la Vida, Watermelons
• Self Portrait as Tehuana
• Self-Portrait Dedicated to Dr. Eloesser
• Self-Portrait Dedicated to Dr. Leon Trotsky
• Self-Portrait in Red and Gold Dress
• Self-Portrait with Monkey

Here are some examples:

Self Portrait with bonito – Frida Kahlo

Viva la vida – Frida Kahlo

Self Portrait as Tehuana – Frida Kahlo

Related: Famous Latinos & Hispanic Americans Home Page

Frida Kahlo Biography For Kids and Students

To teachers and parents: many Frida Kahlo biographies include descriptions that   are too detailed to use with kids or at school.   The following biography is written specifically   so that teachers can use the info in class.  It is not written on an elementary level —  more of high school level, but teachers can use the text and simplify as needed for their students. 

I allude to to her accident, miscarriages and infidelity; use or omit those references at your discretion. 

If you want a complete bio of her life,   this piece  from the Smithsonian is great.

Frida Kahlo was born as Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderón on July 6, 1907. Her father, Wilhelm Kahlo, was a Frida Kahlo was born with the full name  Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón  on July 6, 1907.  Her father, Wilhelm Kahlo, was a photographer and a German immigrant to Mexico. Her mother, Matilde Calderon y Gonzalez, was of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent.

Kahlo’s family lived in Coyoacán, Mexico, in the Blue House, or  Casa Azul . She was the third of four daughters.

At 6 years old, Frida Kahlo contracted polio , which kept her in bed for nine months. This left her right leg and foot permanently damaged and she walked with a limp. However, her father encouraged her interest in sports and she led an active childhood. She swam, boxed, played soccer, and wrestled. This was very unusual for a girl in those times.

When Kahlo was 15 years old, she entered the famous National Preparatory School in Mexico City.  That year, 1922, was the first year girls were allowed to attend the school. This year was the first time she met her future husband Diego Rivera, when he was painting a mural at the school.

Among her peers, Kahlo was known as a vivacious and opinionated student, interested in philosophy, science, and literature. She joined a group of students called the “ Cachuchas ,” who were interested in politics.

Tragically, Kahlo suffered a terrible bus accident in 1925. A metal rod was driven into her midsection, and she had multiple fractures, a crushed pelvis, and her leg and foot were broken. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors thought she might not make it.

Kahlo did survive, but her recovery was long and incredibly difficult. After being released from the hospital, she would spend months in a body cast and many more in bed.

To help her pass the time, Kahlo’s parents set her up with painting materials and a mirror. This was when she began painting self-portraits. It was also the beginning of other themes that would mark her career as an artist: physical suffering, introspection, and explorations of identity and trauma.

By 1927 Kahlo was healing and able to leave her room. She reconnected with her friends, became more interested in politics, and joined the Communist Party.

Kahlo also met Diego Rivera again. At first, he visited her to “talk about her paintings,” but the two fell in love and were married in 1929.

They were very different physically: Rivera was over six feet tall and more than 300 pounds, while Kahlo was tiny by his side, at only 5 feet 3 inches, less than 100 pounds, and 21 years younger than him. Her parents described it as a “marriage between an elephant and a dove.”

Their marriage turned out to be a passionate but tumultuous union. The two artists traveled to the United States in 1930 (Kahlo received a visa after leaving the Communist Party), where they worked, travelled, and Rivera painted a series of murals.

Kahlo drew attention as she dressed in traditional Tehuana dress that highlighted her Mexican identity, using vivid colors and long skirts, sometimes with elaborate headpieces made of flowers. They moved back to Mexico because she felt homesick.

Kahlo suffered during the early years of their marriage with a series of traumatic miscarriages, and found out she was not able to have children. Rivera was not faithful to Kahlo, and she was often ill during these painful times in the marriage. Kahlo had several affairs as well, and the two separated and reunited several times.

“They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn’t. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” – Frida Kahlo

Her paintings reflected this time of her life and the suffering she endured both internally and physically. They also reflect her passion for live and love. Her unique and vivid work was drawing attention, and she was invited to do a show in New York in 1938, traveling to Paris as well.

Rivera and Kahlo divorced during this time, but remarried in 1940. Kahlo’s became progressively more ill over the next decade with her spinal issues and several other sicknesses. She lived in the Casa Azul , tending to her garden. Despite her illness, she tenaciously kept painting and working.

Her work became increasingly recognized, though she struggled to make a living from it. She taught at the painting school La Esmeralda for a time, and received a prize for her painting  Moses . Her painting The Two Fridas was purchased by the Museo de Arte Moderno , and s he had an exhibit in 1953.

By this time she was so ill she had to travel to the exhibit in an ambulance and was given a bed to lie down in. In 1953 she developed gangrene and had to have the lower half of one leg amputated. Even so, she remained politically active, participating in protests.

Frida Kahlo died in 1954 at her own home, at only 47 years old . The cause of her death is uncertain, though official records list it as pulmonary embolism.

To this day, Kahlo’s fame only continues to grow, and her legacy is ever-expanding. Like many artists, she is more appreciated now than during her own lifetime.

Her home, the Casa Azul, was opened as a museum in 1958. In 2002, Frida the movie was released, starring Salma Hayek. It won six academy awards and only increased Kahlo’s fame.

Related: 25 Frida Kahlo Quotes

Frida Kahlo Lesson Plans

To introduce Frida Kahlo in the classroom, here is a collection of resources and lessons for teachers and parents.

Free Resources in English:

• Do a virtual tour of the Casa Azul (Blue House), shown above.
• Worksheet to go with TEDEd YouTube vide o about her life. (TpT)
• Studying the Biographies of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera – an extensive plan from a teacher on teaching both artists, using books, writing projects, and art. 
• Reading, questions, and conversations cards about Frida Kahlo in English. ( TpT )
• Lesson plan from PBS to go with the film Frida Kahlo Personal or Political? , with materials for teachers and students. 

Free Spanish Resources from TpT:

• 2-page reading of Kahlo’s biography with questions and preterite/imperfect section (for Spanish 3+).
• Detective Code to learn about one of Kahlo’s most famous paintings, “Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird.” (TpT)

More Frida Kahlo Lesson Plans and Resources:

Frida Kahlo Art Projects for Kids

What better way to learn about Frida Kahlo than through art? There are many free activities out there, and these were my favorites.

First, I have Frida Kahlo coloring pages right here that you can have for free! The coloring pages include pictures of Frida Kahlo and some of her famous paintings.

•  Art-based lesson on Frida Kahlo’s work using oil pastels, though it could also be used to talk about her paintings. ( PDF Download )
• Step-by-step guide on drawing a portrait of Frida Kahlo. This post also includes a video with directions.
• Frida Kahlo paper plate doll .
• Paper Frida Kahlo craft with printable template.
• La Casa Azul craft from Fun for Spanish Teachers

Frida Kahlo Children’s Books

Videos about frida kahlo.

It was really hard to find a video that works for young kids, There are tons of amazing biographies about here, but most include a part or two that may not work for you. As always, preview!

Almost school-friendly Frida Kahlo biographies:

(Both do include the Two Fridas painting, and the painting of the deer with arrows in it at minute):

For young children:

This video in Spanish is a great introduction for younger viewers. It focuses more on her paintings and the themes in her work than her life story. (Minute 2:41 describes Rivera as “gordo,” heads up.) Here is a worksheet to go with the video.

For high school:

This TEDEd video is excellent with interesting and eye-catching graphics. Be aware that it includes a self-portrait with some nudity at minute 1:10. Otherwise it’s a great synopsis of her life (4min 6s):

For mature high schoolers:

This video would be extremely useful for Spanish teachers especially, as her life story is illustrated step by step and includes written phrases in Spanish.

You could turn the sounds off and narrate in comprehensible language for your students, and also just choose certain clips to show.

Notes: minute 1:19 features an artist with a cigarette, at minute 3:08 Kahlo is drawn with Rivera and her hand looks low on his belly (just anticipating students, hah), at minute 3:32 indirectly explains that she had to have a therapeutic “interruption” to her pregnancy, minute 3:36 reference marital affairs, minute 4:00 references another abortion, 4:15 mentions more affairs , minute 5:12 mentions suicide,

I hope these resources were helpful to you! If you have more ideas for resources or lessons, let me know in the comments below!

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Thank you so much for this!!! It has been so useful 💜

Fabulous resource, so well researched and documented. I am including some of the links for my KS3 students. This has really saved me time and effort. Thank you so much!

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15 Interesting Facts about Frida Kahlo for kids

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was born in Coyoacán, Mexico City , in 1907.

She is well known for her self-portraits, many of which frequently showed her emotional and physical suffering.

Kahlo’s life was marked by significant physical suffering, including a near-fatal bus accident at the age of 18 that left her with lifelong injuries and chronic pain.

Despite this, she became a prolific artist, producing over 200 paintings, primarily self-portraits, that have since become iconic representations of Mexican art.

Kahlo’s work is known for its vivid colors, surrealist imagery, and emotional intensity, and it continues to inspire artists and admirers around the world.

Who is Frida Kahlo?

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist who achieved international recognition for her unique and highly personal style of painting.

Born in 1907 in Coyoacán, Mexico City, Kahlo began painting as a teenager while recovering from a near-fatal bus accident that left her with chronic pain and disabilities.

Her self-portraits, in which she frequently showed her physical and emotional hardships, came to be recognized as the essence of her creative endeavors.

Kahlo’s art was deeply influenced by Mexican folk art, as well as by her own experiences and struggles, and it often featured surrealist imagery and vivid colors.

Despite facing numerous challenges throughout her life, including a tumultuous relationship with the artist Diego Rivera, Kahlo persevered and created a body of work that continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.

Fun facts about Frida Kahlo

1. frida kahlo was born and died in the same house: .

Born on July 6, 1907, in the Blue House in Coyoacán, Mexico City, Frida Kahlo lived most of her life there and eventually passed away on July 13, 1954, in the same house, which has since been transformed into the Frida Kahlo Museum, allowing visitors to learn more about her life and work.

2. She was named after her father: 

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was Kahlo’s full name, and she was named after her father, Guillermo Kahlo, who was a German-Hungarian photographer. Interestingly, Frida later dropped the name Magdalena and simply went by Frida Kahlo.

3. Frida was a talented athlete: 

Kahlo was an accomplished athlete in her youth and competed in several sports, including swimming, boxing, and wrestling. She also played soccer and was a member of the Mexican national team.

4. Frida had a pet deer: 

Frida Kahlo kept a pet deer , named Granizo, whom she would often take on walks around her garden, and he became a beloved companion of hers.

Kahlo’s love for animals is reflected in her paintings, and Granizo even appears in some of them, such as “The Wounded Deer.”

5. Her first art exhibition was held in New York: 

Kahlo’s first solo exhibition took place at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York City in 1938, which turned out to be a success, as she sold half of the displayed paintings.

This exhibition marked a turning point in her career, and she went on to exhibit her work in many other prestigious galleries around the world.

6. Kahlo was fluent in several languages:

Frida Kahlo was a highly intelligent and multilingual person, and she was fluent in several languages, including Spanish, English, French, German, and Italian.

Her language skills enabled her to communicate with a diverse range of people from different cultures, which was important for her as an artist and a political activist.

Her proficiency in various languages allowed her to interact with people from diverse cultures and incorporate their perspectives into her art and activism.

7. She was an advocate for indigenous Mexican culture: 

Kahlo was a proud advocate for Mexican indigenous culture and often wore traditional Mexican clothing in her paintings and her daily life.

8. Frida was a communist: 

Frida Kahlo was a committed communist and held strong political beliefs, which were reflected in her art.

She and her husband, Diego Rivera, were active in the Mexican Communist Party and advocated for workers’ rights, indigenous rights, and gender equality.

9. She had an affair with Leon Trotsky: 

In 1937, Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera, provided political asylum to the Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and his wife. Kahlo and Trotsky had a brief affair during this time.

10. Frida Kahlo had a unique fashion sense: 

Frida Kahlo’s unique fashion sense was an extension of her personality and artistic expression.

She incorporated traditional Mexican clothing into her wardrobe, such as Tehuana dresses, rebozos, and huipiles, and often adorned herself with jewelry and flowers .

Her distinctive style has inspired fashion designers and artists around the world, and she remains an icon of individuality and self-expression.

11. She was an avid collector of folk art: 

Kahlo collected a wide variety of Mexican folk art and used it as inspiration for her own paintings.

12. Kahlo’s artwork was heavily influenced by her physical and emotional pain: 

Kahlo suffered from chronic pain and disabilities throughout her life, which often manifested in her art as depictions of physical and emotional suffering.

13. Frida painted on everything: 

Kahlo’s paintings were not limited to canvas or paper. She also painted on objects such as plates, mirrors, and even prosthetic legs.

14. She had a passion for cooking: 

Kahlo was an accomplished cook and often hosted dinner parties at the Blue House, where she would prepare traditional Mexican dishes for her guests.

15. Frida Kahlo’s legacy lives on: 

Kahlo’s artwork continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world, and her life and work have been the subject of numerous books, films, and exhibitions.

Frida Kahlo was an extraordinary artist whose life and work continue to captivate and inspire people around the world.

Despite facing numerous challenges throughout her life, including physical pain and disabilities, Kahlo persevered and created a body of work that is deeply personal, emotional, and deeply connected to Mexican culture.

Through her vividly colorful self-portraits, Kahlo expressed her innermost thoughts and feelings, creating powerful works of art that continue to resonate with audiences today.

Her legacy as an artist and cultural icon has only grown since she died in 1954, and she remains an inspiration to artists, feminists, and activists everywhere.

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Kid World Citizen

Activities that help young minds go global

Kids Learn about Frida Kahlo, Mexican Artist Extraordinaire

June 25, 2014 by kidworldcitizen 8 Comments

For the  Multicultural Kid Blogger’s World Cup series,  I am presenting on several different countries that are participating. Today’s country is Mexico!  Today we’ll look at a famous Mexican artist named Frida Kahlo, make our own self-portrait in her style, and learn about many different on-line lessons for kids.

Have you heard of Friday Kahlo? You might recognize the brilliant Mexican artist by her self-portraits. Check out this video that morphs several of Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits in and out. In my opinion, all of the paintings shown are appropriate for kids:

Frida Kahlo: Biography for Kids

Frida Kahlo was born in Coyoacán, Mexico (just south of Mexico City) in La Casa Azul (which is now a museum, see above photo) July 6, 1907. She grew up in this house with her parents and 6 sisters, during the Mexican revolution, which started in 1910. She loved to draw when she was a child, preferring to be alone than playing with her sisters. During her life, she had many, many medical problems and injuries that caused her a lot of physical pain; this is important to note because her pain and isolation is reflected in her paintings.

At age 6, Frida caught a disease called polio, which damaged her right leg. When she was 18 she was in a terrible bus accident that broke her spinal cord, collarbone, ribs, pelvic bone, leg, foot, and shoulder. An iron rail pierced her torso and through the terrible injury she was never able to have children. She was in an enormous amount of constant pain and had to be in a body cast for 3 months. Even after the case was removed, on and off for the rest of her life Frida would spend months at a time lying in bed in La Casa Azul or in the hospital: during this time in bed she painted what she felt and saw.

She admired Mexican artist Diego Rivera and approached him about her art. They ended up getting married, and both continued to be very successful artists. In many of Frida’s paintings you will find her pain and despair- you will find paintings unsuitable for children. I suggest that you view the paintings first and choose which to show your kids.

Frida was a strong voice for women, at a time when women did not have as many rights as they do now. The was an advocate for indigenous rights, and spoke against commercialization and imperialism, sometimes between industrialized US and pre-industrial Mexico. Frida Kahlo died July 14, 1954.

Books on Frida Kahlo for Kids

Self-Portraits Frida Kahlo Style

My daughter was very empathetic to Frida after listening to her many painful injuries, and we talked about how bored she must have been for months and months in bed with (gasp) no TV, no iPad, no access to a library, etc. We also looked at self-portraits of Frida with various animals in the picture: birds, monkeys, a cat. Vivi then took up her drawing pad to her bed and sketched herself with her pets: our 2 dogs, our balled python, bearded dragons, and African millipedes (we have a zoo!). She colored it with oil pastels, and was very proud of her own self-portrait!

Amazing Frida Kahlo Activity Pack

Teach kids about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo with this reading and self-portrait activity! A wonderful way to incorporate a Hispanic cultural lesson into any school day, this activity offers students an age-appropriate reading about Frida Kahlo’s life followed by comprehension questions, and guides them to creating their own self-portrait through a meaningful questionnaire. It also includes an incredible illustrated version of one of Frida Kahlo’s paintings that can be printed out and used on a bulletin board. Go now >

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June 26, 2014 at 1:10 am

Great resources! And good tip to check out the paintings before showing them to kids 😉 I love that your daughter really connected to Frida, what a wonderful connection to make!

June 26, 2014 at 2:18 pm

I have read the book Frida by Johan Winter to my 5 years old boy. They had it in my town library in France. A great book about an amazing artist and woman! Thanks for all the links and tips!

June 27, 2014 at 10:32 pm

Wonderful resources! I’m sharing this with my readers, and I know they will love the information and the links. Thank you!

May 2, 2015 at 12:33 am

Hi! I teach Spanish as foreign language and this term I have been teaching Frida Kahlo to my students from grade 1 to 6. They are absolutely loving it! I came across your blog trying to find a biography for kids and I have used your summary on my blog (with the reference). I will post images of the results of my units on my blog later http://aitkencreekespanol.global2.vic.edu.au/ Great work!

May 4, 2015 at 8:13 am

That’s wonderful Lourdes!!!! I am also a Spanish teacher!! 🙂 I love integrating culture into lessons!!! 🙂

September 21, 2015 at 11:14 am

Thanks for this great resource! I believe that Frida was one of six girls in her family which means she had five sisters instead of six as you mention? Please let me know if I am wrong!

September 21, 2015 at 2:48 pm

Oooh I think you might be right! There were 2 half sisters from Diego Rivera’s previous wife.

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The story of Frida Kahlo for kids

Frida Kahlo is one of the most important Mexican artists. Frida Kahlo was born in Coyoacán, Mexico on July 6, 1907. She had three sisters and lived in a blue house. When she was 5 years old, she suffered a very serious illness called polio but she was super strong and survived.

Her illness

Frida stayed 9 months in her bed until she got better and encouraged by her father she practised soccer and boxing. Her dad was a great photographer and a really creative German artist. They got along very well, talked about the ancient art of Mexico and he taught her how to use his camera.

She initially wanted to be a doctor and went to school. Frida grew up during the Mexican revolution and was aware of the political situation of her country. At the age of 18, she had an accident on a bus, broke several bones and had to lie down for a long time.

How Frida Kahlo became an artist

At that moment, she began to paint. Frida asked her father for her paintings and she ended being the author of about 200 works in which she expressed her life and her own suffering. She made portraits of her family and friends but above all, she painted herself surrounded by things important to her.

After the revolution in Mexico, the new government hired great artists to paint the walls of public buildings. They painted the history of the town of Mexico so that people could feel proud of their culture and their past.

Her partner

One of those artists, named Diego, fell in love with Frida. They got married and travelled together to the US. There, they lived in several large cities and Diego painted many murals. Since 1939 the artistic recognition of Frida’s work started growing. She presented various exhibitions in museums all around the world. However, that time was a bit difficult for Frida.  Her health was very weak and she died not much after in Coyoacán. Her ashes are preserved in the blue house. Although she was really known during life, it took her a long time to be recognized internationally.

She painted her feelings and emotions using traditional Mexican colours and figures. Sometimes her art was catalogued as a surrealist, which means, it comes from dreams. However, she never painted what she dreamed but her own reality.

If you are interested in knowing Hispanics characters, check also The story of Christopher Columbus for kids.

Frida Kahlo biography

Considered one of Mexico's greatest artists, Frida Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907 in Coyocoan, Mexico City, Mexico. She grew up in the family's home where was later referred to as the Blue House or Casa Azul. Her father is a German descendant and photographer. He immigrated to Mexico where he met and married her mother Matilde. Her mother is half Amerindian and half Spanish. Frida Kahlo has two older sisters and one younger sister.

Frida Kahlo has poor health in her childhood. She contracted polio at the age of 6 and had to be bedridden for nine months. This disease caused her right leg and foot to grow much thinner than her left one. She limped after she recovered from polio. She has been wearing long skirts to cover that for the rest of her life. Her father encouraged her to do lots of sports to help her recover. She played soccer, went swimming, and even did wrestle, which is very unusual at that time for a girl. She has kept a very close relationship with her father for her whole life.

Frida Kahlo attended the renowned National Preparatory School in Mexico City in the year of 1922. There are only thirty-five female students enrolled in that school and she soon became famous for her outspokenness and bravery. At this school she first met the famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera for the first time. Rivera at that time was working on a mural called The Creation on the school campus. Frida often watched it and she told a friend she will marry him someday.

In the same year, Kahlo joined a gang of students who shared similar political and intellectual views. She fell in love with the leader Alejandro Gomez Arias. On a September afternoon when she traveled with Gomez Arias on a bus the tragic accident happened. The bus collided with a streetcar and Frida Kahlo was seriously injured. A steel handrail impaled her through the hip. Her spine and pelvis are fractured and this accident left her in a great deal of pain, both physically and physiologically.

She was injured so badly and had to stay in the Red Cross Hospital in Mexico City for several weeks. After that, she returned home for further recovery. She had to wear full-body cast for three months. To kill the time and alleviate the pain, she started painting and finished her first self-portrait the following year. Frida Kahlo once said,

I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best".

Her parents encouraged her to paint and made a special easel made for her so she could paint in bed. They also gave her brushes and boxes of paints.

Frida Kahlo reconnected with Rivera in 1928. She asked him to evaluate her work and he encouraged her. The two soon started the romantic relationship. Despite her mother's objection, Frida and Diego Rivera got married in the next year. During their earlier years as a married couple, Frida had to move a lot based on Diego's work. In 1930, they lived in San Francisco, California. Then they moved to New York City for Rivera's artwork show at Museum of Modern Art . They later moved to Detroit while Diego Rivera worked for Detroit Institute of Arts .

In 1932, Kahlo added more realistic and surrealistic components in her painting style. In the painting titled Henry Ford Hospital(1932) , Frida Kahlo lied on a hospital bed naked and was surrounded with a few things floating around, which includes a fetus, a flower, a pelvis, a snail, all connected by veins. This painting was an expression of her feelings about her second miscarriage. It is as personal as her other self-portraits.

In 1933, Kahlo was living in New York City with her husband Diego Rivera. Rivera was commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller to create a mural named as Man at the Crossroads at Rockefeller Center. Rivera tried to include Vladimir Lenin in the painting, who is a communist leader. Rockefeller stopped his work and that part was painted over. The couple had to move back to Mexico after this incident. They returned and live in San Angel, Mexico.

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's marriage is not a usual one. They had been keeping separate homes and studios for all those years. Diego had so many affairs and one of that was with Kahlo's sister Cristina. Frida Kahlo was so sad and she cut off her long hair to show her desperation to the betrayal. She has longed for children but she cannot bear one due to the bus accident. She was heartbroken when she experienced a second miscarriage in 1934. Kahlo and Rivera have been separated a few times but they always went back together. In 1937 they helped Leon Trotsky and his wife Natalia. Leon Trotsky is an exiled communist and rival of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Kahlo and Rivera welcomed the couple together and let them stay at her Blue House. Kahlo also had a brief affair with Leon Trotsky when the couple stayed at her house.

In 1938, Frida Kahlo became a friend of André Breton, who is one of the primary figures of the Surrealism movement. Frida said she never considered herself as a Surrealist "until André Breton came to Mexico and told me I was one." She also wrote, "Really I do not know whether my paintings are surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the frankest expression of myself". "Since my subjects have always been my sensations, my states of mind and the profound reactions that life has been producing in me, I have frequently objectified all this in figures of myself, which were the most sincere and real thing that I could do in order to express what I felt inside and outside of myself."

In the same year, she had an exhibition at New York City gallery. She sold some of her paintings and got two commissions. One of that is from Clare Boothe Luce to paint her friend Dorothy Hale who committed suicide. She painted The Suicide of Dorothy Hale (1939), which tells the story of Dorothy's tragic leap. The patron Luce was horrified and almost destroyed this painting.

The next year, 1939, Kahlo was invited by André Breton and went to Paris. Her works are exhibited there and she is befriended with artists such as Marc Chagall , Piet Mondrian , and Pablo Picasso . She and Rivera got divorced that year and she painted one of her most famous paintings, The Two Fridas (1939).

But soon Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera remarried in 1940. The second marriage is about the same as the first one. They still keep separate lives and houses. Both of them had infidelities with other people during the marriage. Kahlo received a commission from the Mexican government for five portraits of important Mexican women in 1941, but she was unable to finish the project. She lost her beloved father that year and continued to suffer from chronic health problems. Despite her personal challenges, her work continued to grow in popularity and was included in numerous group shows around this time.

In the year of 1944, Frida Kahlo painted one of her most famous portraits, The Broken Column . In this painting, she depicted herself naked and split down the middle. Her spine is shattered like a column. She wears a surgical brace and there are nails all through her body, which is the indication of the consistent pain she went through. In this painting, Frida expressed her physical challenges through her art. During that time, she had a few surgeries and had to wear special corsets to protect her back spine. She seeks lots of medical treatment for her chronic pain but nothing really worked.

Her health condition has been worsening in 1950. That year she was diagnosed with gangrene in her right foot. She became bedridden for the next nine month and had to stay in hospital and had several surgeries. But with great persistence, Frida Kahlo continued to work and paint. In the year of 1953, she had a solo exhibition in Mexican. Although she had limited mobility at that time, she showed up on the exhibition's opening ceremony. She arrived by ambulance, and welcomed the attendees, celebrated the ceremony in a bed the gallery set up for her. A few months later, she had to accept another surgery. Part of her right leg got amputated to stop the gangrene.

With the poor physical condition, she is also deeply depressed. She even had an inclination for suicide. Frida Kahlo has been out and in hospital during that year. But despite her health issues, she has been active with the political movement. She showed up at the demonstration against US-backed overthrow of President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala on July 2. This is her last public appearance. About one week after her 47th birthday, Frida Kahlo passed away at her beloved Bule House. She was publicly reported to die of a pulmonary embolism, but there is speculation which was saying she died of a possible suicide.

Frida Kahlo's fame has been growing after her death. Her Blue House was opened as a museum in the year of 1958. In the 1970s the interest in her work and life is renewed due to the feminist movement since she was viewed as an icon of female creativity. In 1983, Hayden Herrera published his book on her, A Biography of Frida Kahlo , which drew more attention from the public to this great artist. In the year of 2002, a movie named Frida was released, staring alma Hayek as Frida Kahlo and Alfred Molina as Diego Rivera. This movie was nominated for six Academy Awards and won for Best Makeup and Original Score.

The Two Fridas

Self-portrait with thorn necklace & hummingbird, viva la vida, watermelons, the wounded deer, self portrait with monkeys, without hope, me and my parrots, what the water gave me, frida and diego rivera, the wounded table, diego and i, my dress hangs there, henry ford hospital, self portrait as a tehuana, fulang chang and i.

Art History and Artists

Frida kahlo.

• Occupation: Artist
• Born: July 6, 1907 Mexico City, Mexico
• Died: July 13, 1954 Mexico City, Mexico
• Famous works: Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, The Two Fridas, Memory, the Heart, Henry Ford Hospital
• Style/Period: Surrealism

• Her full name is Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon.
• In 1984, Mexico declared the works of Frida Kahlo part of the country's national cultural heritage.
• Her painting The Frame was the first painting by a Mexican artist acquired by the Louvre.
• Her paintings often featured aspects of Aztec Mythology and Mexican folklore.
• The major motion picture Frida told the story of her life and earned 6 Academy Award nominations.
• Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Frida Kahlo

Painter Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist who was married to Diego Rivera and is still admired as a feminist icon.

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(1907-1954)

Who Was Frida Kahlo?

Family, education and early life, frida kahlo's accident, frida kahlo's marriage to diego rivera, artistic career, frida kahlo's most famous paintings, frida kahlo’s death, movie on frida kahlo, frida kahlo museum, book on frida kahlo, quick facts:.

FULL NAME: Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón BORN: JULY 6, 1907 BIRTHPLACE: Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer

Artist Frida Kahlo was considered one of Mexico's greatest artists who began painting mostly self-portraits after she was severely injured in a bus accident. Kahlo later became politically active and married fellow communist artist Diego Rivera in 1929. She exhibited her paintings in Paris and Mexico before her death in 1954.

Kahlo was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón on July 6, 1907, in Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico.

Kahlo's father, Wilhelm (also called Guillermo), was a German photographer who had immigrated to Mexico where he met and married her mother Matilde. She had two older sisters, Matilde and Adriana, and her younger sister, Cristina, was born the year after Kahlo.

Around the age of six, Kahlo contracted polio, which caused her to be bedridden for nine months. While she recovered from the illness, she limped when she walked because the disease had damaged her right leg and foot. Her father encouraged her to play soccer, go swimming, and even wrestle — highly unusual moves for a girl at the time — to help aid in her recovery.

In 1922, Kahlo enrolled at the renowned National Preparatory School. She was one of the few female students to attend the school, and she became known for her jovial spirit and her love of colorful, traditional clothes and jewelry.

While at school, Kahlo hung out with a group of politically and intellectually like-minded students. Becoming more politically active, Kahlo joined the Young Communist League and the Mexican Communist Party.

On September 17, 1925, Kahlo and Alejandro Gómez Arias, a school friend with whom she was romantically involved, were traveling together on a bus when the vehicle collided with a streetcar . As a result of the collision, Kahlo was impaled by a steel handrail, which went into her hip and came out the other side. She suffered several serious injuries as a result, including fractures in her spine and pelvis.

After staying at the Red Cross Hospital in Mexico City for several weeks, Kahlo returned home to recuperate further. She began painting during her recovery and finished her first self-portrait the following year, which she gave to Gómez Arias.

In 1929, Kahlo and famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera married. Kahlo and Rivera first met in 1922 when he went to work on a project at her high school. Kahlo often watched as Rivera created a mural called The Creation in the school’s lecture hall. According to some reports, she told a friend that she would someday have Rivera’s baby.

Kahlo reconnected with Rivera in 1928. He encouraged her artwork, and the two began a relationship. During their early years together, Kahlo often followed Rivera based on where the commissions that Rivera received were. In 1930, they lived in San Francisco, California. They then went to New York City for Rivera’s show at the Museum of Modern Art and later moved to Detroit for Rivera’s commission with the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Kahlo and Rivera’s time in New York City in 1933 was surrounded by controversy. Commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller , Rivera created a mural entitled Man at the Crossroads in the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center. Rockefeller halted the work on the project after Rivera included a portrait of communist leader Vladimir Lenin in the mural, which was later painted over. Months after this incident, the couple returned to Mexico and went to live in San Angel, Mexico.

Never a traditional union, Kahlo and Rivera kept separate, but adjoining homes and studios in San Angel. She was saddened by his many infidelities, including an affair with her sister Cristina. In response to this familial betrayal, Kahlo cut off most of her trademark long dark hair. Desperately wanting to have a child, she again experienced heartbreak when she miscarried in 1934.

Kahlo and Rivera went through periods of separation, but they joined together to help exiled Soviet communist Leon Trotsky and his wife Natalia in 1937. The Trotskys came to stay with them at the Blue House (Kahlo's childhood home) for a time in 1937 as Trotsky had received asylum in Mexico. Once a rival of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin , Trotsky feared that he would be assassinated by his old nemesis. Kahlo and Trotsky reportedly had a brief affair during this time.

Kahlo divorced Rivera in 1939. They did not stay divorced for long, remarrying in 1940. The couple continued to lead largely separate lives, both becoming involved with other people over the years .

While she never considered herself a surrealist, Kahlo befriended one of the primary figures in that artistic and literary movement, Andre Breton, in 1938. That same year, she had a major exhibition at a New York City gallery, selling about half of the 25 paintings shown there. Kahlo also received two commissions, including one from famed magazine editor Clare Boothe Luce, as a result of the show.

In 1939, Kahlo went to live in Paris for a time. There she exhibited some of her paintings and developed friendships with such artists as Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso .

Kahlo received a commission from the Mexican government for five portraits of important Mexican women in 1941, but she was unable to finish the project. She lost her beloved father that year and continued to suffer from chronic health problems. Despite her personal challenges, her work continued to grow in popularity and was included in numerous group shows around this time.

In 1953, Kahlo received her first solo exhibition in Mexico. While bedridden at the time, Kahlo did not miss out on the exhibition’s opening. Arriving by ambulance, Kahlo spent the evening talking and celebrating with the event’s attendees from the comfort of a four-poster bed set up in the gallery just for her.

After Kahlo’s death, the feminist movement of the 1970s led to renewed interest in her life and work, as Kahlo was viewed by many as an icon of female creativity.

Many of Kahlo’s works were self-portraits. A few of her most notable paintings include:

'Frieda and Diego Rivera' (1931)

Kahlo showed this painting at the Sixth Annual Exhibition of the San Francisco Society of Women Artists, the city where she was living with Rivera at the time. In the work, painted two years after the couple married, Kahlo lightly holds Rivera’s hand as he grasps a palette and paintbrushes with the other — a stiffly formal pose hinting at the couple’s future tumultuous relationship. The work now lives at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

'Henry Ford Hospital' (1932)

In 1932, Kahlo incorporated graphic and surrealistic elements in her work. In this painting, a naked Kahlo appears on a hospital bed with several items — a fetus, a snail, a flower, a pelvis and others — floating around her and connected to her by red, veinlike strings. As with her earlier self-portraits, the work was deeply personal, telling the story of her second miscarriage.

'The Suicide of Dorothy Hale' (1939)

Kahlo was asked to paint a portrait of Luce and Kahlo's mutual friend, actress Dorothy Hale, who had committed suicide earlier that year by jumping from a high-rise building. The painting was intended as a gift for Hale's grieving mother. Rather than a traditional portrait, however, Kahlo painted the story of Hale's tragic leap. While the work has been heralded by critics, its patron was horrified at the finished painting.

'The Two Fridas' (1939)

One of Kahlo’s most famous works, the painting shows two versions of the artist sitting side by side, with both of their hearts exposed. One Frida is dressed nearly all in white and has a damaged heart and spots of blood on her clothing. The other wears bold colored clothing and has an intact heart. These figures are believed to represent “unloved” and “loved” versions of Kahlo.

'The Broken Column' (1944)

Kahlo shared her physical challenges through her art again with this painting, which depicted a nearly nude Kahlo split down the middle, revealing her spine as a shattered decorative column. She also wears a surgical brace and her skin is studded with tacks or nails. Around this time, Kahlo had several surgeries and wore special corsets to try to fix her back. She would continue to seek a variety of treatments for her chronic physical pain with little success.

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About a week after her 47th birthday, Kahlo died on July 13, 1954, at her beloved Blue House. There has been some speculation regarding the nature of her death. It was reported to be caused by a pulmonary embolism, but there have also been stories about a possible suicide.

Kahlo’s health issues became nearly all-consuming in 1950. After being diagnosed with gangrene in her right foot, Kahlo spent nine months in the hospital and had several operations during this time. She continued to paint and support political causes despite having limited mobility. In 1953, part of Kahlo’s right leg was amputated to stop the spread of gangrene.

Deeply depressed, Kahlo was hospitalized again in April 1954 because of poor health, or, as some reports indicated, a suicide attempt. She returned to the hospital two months later with bronchial pneumonia. No matter her physical condition, Kahlo did not let that stand in the way of her political activism. Her final public appearance was a demonstration against the U.S.-backed overthrow of President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala on July 2nd.

Kahlo’s life was the subject of a 2002 film entitled Frida , starring Salma Hayek as the artist and Alfred Molina as Rivera. Directed by Julie Taymor, the film was nominated for six Academy Awards and won for Best Makeup and Original Score.

The family home where Kahlo was born and grew up, later referred to as the Blue House or Casa Azul, was opened as a museum in 1958. Located in Coyoacán, Mexico City, the Museo Frida Kahlo houses artifacts from the artist along with important works including Viva la Vida (1954), Frida and Caesarean (1931) and Portrait of my father Wilhelm Kahlo (1952).

Hayden Herrera’s 1983 book on Kahlo, Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo , helped to stir up interest in the artist. The biographical work covers Kahlo’s childhood, accident, artistic career, marriage to Diego Rivera, association with the communist party and love affairs.

Watch the 2024 documentary, titled Frida , about the artist's life on Amazon Prime Video.

We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

• I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.
• My painting carries with it the message of pain.
• I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.
• I think that, little by little, I'll be able to solve my problems and survive.
• The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.
• I was born a bitch. I was born a painter.
• I love you more than my own skin.
• I am not sick, I am broken, but I am happy as long as I can paint.
• Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?
• I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed with this decent and good feeling.
• There have been two great accidents in my life. One was the trolley and the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst.
• I hope the end is joyful, and I hope never to return.

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

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The Story of Frida Kahlo: An Inspiring Biography for Young Readers (The Story of Biographies) Paperback – March 3, 2020

Discover the life of Frida Kahlo―a story about strength, creativity, and never giving up for kids ages 6 to 9

Frida Kahlo is one of the most famous and celebrated artists who has ever lived. Before she made history with her beautiful paintings and brave spirit, she went through a life-changing accident that would have made many people want to give up. Instead, Frida fought to overcome her setbacks and follow her passions. In this Frida Kahlo children's book, you'll explore how Frida went from being a young girl in a small Mexican town to an artist who is beloved all around the world.

• Independent reading ―This Frida Kahlo biography is broken down into short chapters and simple language so kids 6 to 9 can read and learn on their own.
• Critical thinking ―Kids will learn the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of Frida's life, find definitions of new words, discussion questions, and more.
• A lasting legacy ―Find out how Frida inspired the world with her unique and colorful paintings, as well as her strength of character.

How will Frida's creativity and can-do attitude inspire you?

Discover activists, artists, athletes, and more from across history with the rest of the Story Of series, including famous figures like: Marie Curie, Selena Quintanilla, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, and Jane Goodall.

• Part of series The Story of Biographies
• Print length 62 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 1 - 2
• Lexile measure 820L
• Dimensions 5.83 x 0.14 x 8.27 inches
• Publisher Callisto Kids
• Publication date March 3, 2020
• ISBN-10 1646111605
• ISBN-13 978-1646111602
• See all details

From the Publisher

Look into the life of Frida:

Meet more inspiring women by picking up another book in the series or the entire box set.

Editorial Reviews

About the author.

Susan B. Katz is an author, National Board-Certified Teacher, and educational consultant. She has taught for more than 25 years and has five published books, including My Mama Earth and All Year Round . Visit her online at SusanKatzBooks.com.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Callisto Kids (March 3, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 62 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1646111605
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1646111602
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 7 - 11 years, from customers
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 820L
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 1 - 2
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.99 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.83 x 0.14 x 8.27 inches
• #40 in Children's Art Biographies (Books)
• #86 in Children's Painting Books (Books)
• #180 in Children's Women Biographies (Books)

About the author

Susan b. katz.

Susan B. Katz is an award-winning of over 60 children's books. She is a Spanish bilingual author, National Board Certified Teacher, educational consultant, and social media strategist. As a former bilingual educator of over 25 years, Susan incorporates props, puppets and multimedia into her presentations making them interactive and engaging. Susan has published books with Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, Capstone, Lerner, Bala Kids, and Little Bee. MEDITATION STATION won the International Book Award for Best Children's Mind/Body/Spirit title. THE STORY OF RUTH BADER GINSBURG hit #18 on Amazon overall and #9 among all kids books. ALL YEAR ROUND was named "Best New Book" by The Children's Book Review. She translated it into Spanish as Un Año Redondo. MY MAMA EARTH (Barefoot Books), won the Moonbeam Gold Award for Best Picture Book as well as being named "Top Green Toy" by Education.com. Her most recent book, GAUDI: ARCHITECT OF IMAGINATION got a Starred Review from School Library Journal. Susan is also the Founder and Executive Director of www.ConnectingAuthors.org, a national non-profit bringing children's book authors and illustrators into schools and libraries as role models of literacy and the arts. Ms. Katz served as the Strategic Partner Manager for Authors at Facebook. When she's not writing, Susan enjoys salsa dancing and spending time at the beach. She is also an avid wildlife photographer: www.behance.net/susanbkatz Her website is: www.susankatzbooks.com

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Meet the Master Artist: Frida Kahlo | Fun Activity for Hispanic Heritage Month!

Description

Meet the Master Artist Frida Kahlo . Teaching art history will be easy in your classroom with this time-saving resource. I designed this lesson to make art integration easy for classroom teachers and fun for kids! Children love making  art. They also love to learn  art history , especially when presented in a fun, new, and exciting activity like this. 

Teach art history with this time-saving resource!

Children are often fascinated to learn about the master artists who have created many famous artworks they love and recognize. Usually, it can be overwhelming for a teacher who has so many things on their plate to figure out fun and engaging art history lessons. That's where I (Jenny K.) come in. I specialize in helping classroom teachers, parents, and art teachers bring as much creativity to their teaching as possible. 

Tested and Approved! 

Having taught this lesson myself, I can tell you this lesson is tested and approved by my students and me! I hope you and your class have a great time with it. This resource is but one master in my set; see them all HERE . 

• Biography Video: I like to do as much as I can to save teachers time. That is why I have included a short biography video about Frida Kahlo. Once you purchase this resource, you will have access to two formats: streaming from YouTube and downloadable from Dropbox (if your school blocks YouTube). This video presents the information that is on the biography page. You can show this to your students and have them follow along and read the biography sheet. Or they can sit and listen to the material presented in this video.
• Art Example: Frida Kahlo “The Frame”
• Frida Kahlo Biography 1-page mini-poster (8.5" x 11") 
• Written Instructions for the students
• Written Instructions for the teacher 

Meet the Master Artist Frida Kahlo 2-page Activity 3 Levels

Rarely as educators, do we have only one type of learner. Therefore, I have included 3 levels with various options. This lesson can be easily differentiated among your students and used with many grade levels. You will find that I have provided  three levels  for this project; a beginner , intermediate , and advanced set of project pages.

I  recommend  that you use the  intermediate set as the base  of this lesson, fill in with the beginner pages for children who need more support, and use advanced pages for students who need more challenge. However, if you use this with very young children, you might want to use only the beginner pages, while older students could easily do the advanced pages. You know your students best, so please use the level that fits your students' needs. I have provided many options so you can easily customize this lesson. 

This beginner set is perfect for  young students  as an introduction to the artist. I provided a complete biography and coloring page of the artwork. Provide the beginner pages to any student who needs a little extra support on this project or as a complete lesson with early grades!

Options Included for Beginner Level

• Page 1: Frida Kahlo portrait bust and complete biography.
• Page 2: Frida Kahlo “The Frame” coloring page.

Intermediate: 

The intermediate set is the option I most highly recommend . Use this as your basic project and then fill in with the beginner and advanced sets to easily differentiate among your students. You can provide extra support for those who need it with the beginner pages and more of a challenge with the advanced pages for students who need that extra push!

Options Included for Intermediate Level

• Page 1: (Option #1) Frida Kahlo portrait bust and  complete biography.
• Page 1: (Option #2) Frida Kahlo portrait bust and biography with  fill-in-the-blank  spaces. 
• Page 2: Space for students to create a self-portrait with flowers in their hair or a monkey on their shoulder, as Frida did in her paintings.

This advanced set will allow you to differentiate among your students easily. This set is perfect if you have tasked your students with researching Frida Kahlo and writing a short biography about her.

Options Included for Advanced Level

• Page 1: Frida Kahlo portrait bust and  blank biography  section (let students research and write their biography).
• Page 2: (option #1) Space for students to create a self-portrait with flowers in their hair or a monkey on their shoulder, as Frida did in her paintings.
• Page 2: (option #2) Space for students to re-create one of their favorite works by Frida Kahlo.

You will need to provide the following:

• Paper:  You can use standard copy paper for this project. If you have access to thicker copy paper, such as 32lb or card stock, you can also use that. Be sure that the paper you use supports the medium of your choice. For example, if you use markers, you want thicker paper that won't curl up when it gets damp. Also, keep in mind that it might be more challenging for younger children to cut around the outline of the artist's portrait if you use thick card stock.
• Scissors:  Your students will need to cut out pages 1 and 2, so please be sure they have scissors to do so. 
• Medium:  You can use a variety of mediums for this project. The important part is that your students know how to use the materials and that the paper thickness matches what you are using. You can use crayons, colored pencils, markers, or a variety of paints. Your students will need a basic pencil to sketch their artwork, and I like to give students a black marker to outline (but this isn't necessary). Crayons and colored pencils can be used on thinner copy paper. Markers and paint will work better on thick copy paper (I like to use 32lb laser printer paper) or white card stock if you can run this through your copy machine. If you are going to be using paint (watercolor, acrylic, or tempera), you will want a thicker paper that won't tear when it gets wet from the liquid of the paint.

Other Frida Kahlo Activities:

• "The Frame" Frida Kahlo Collaboration Poster
• Frida Kahlo Portrait Collaboration poster
• Frida-inspired Collaborative Wings

...to name a few! Just search "Frida" in my store to see all my products.

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Remember! You don't have to be an art teacher to infuse art into your classroom—you need to know one. That someone is me! Thank you for trusting me with your art infusion activities. 

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