Artists: Frida Kahlo · Artists: Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo Synopsis: Frida Kahlo was born Magdalena...

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Artists: Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo Synopsis: Frida Kahlo was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon on July 6, 1907, in Mexico City, Mexico. She is considered one of Mexico’s greatest artists. She is recognized widely for her stirring art, which speaks to the pain she experienced in her lifetime. Today, Kahlo continues to be an artistic and feminist icon. Early Life Frida Kahlo was born in 1907 in Mexico City. Her father, Guillermo Kahlo, was a German immigrant and her mother, Matilde Calderon y Gonzalez, was of indigenous and Spanish descent. At the age of 6, Kahlo became sick with polio. She was in bed for nine months. The disease caused her right leg and foot to grow thinner than her left. Kahlo turned to long skirts to cover her thin leg. She would later be recognized for her iconic fashion style. As a child, Kahlo was very close with her father. He was an artist himself, and he taught her about photography, literature and nature. By Evelyn Quezada, adapted by Newsela staon 03.09.17 Word Count 696 Level 810L This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Transcript of Artists: Frida Kahlo · Artists: Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo Synopsis: Frida Kahlo was born Magdalena...

Page 1: Artists: Frida Kahlo · Artists: Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo Synopsis: Frida Kahlo was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon on July 6, 1907, in Mexico City, Mexico. She is considered

Artists: Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo

Synopsis: Frida Kahlo was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon on July 6,

1907, in Mexico City, Mexico. She is considered one of Mexico’s greatest artists. She is

recognized widely for her stirring art, which speaks to the pain she experienced in her lifetime.

Today, Kahlo continues to be an artistic and feminist icon.

Early Life

Frida Kahlo was born in 1907 in Mexico City. Her father, Guillermo Kahlo, was a German

immigrant and her mother, Matilde Calderon y Gonzalez, was of indigenous and Spanish

descent. At the age of 6, Kahlo became sick with polio. She was in bed for nine months. The

disease caused her right leg and foot to grow thinner than her left. Kahlo turned to long skirts

to cover her thin leg. She would later be recognized for her iconic fashion style.

As a child, Kahlo was very close with her father. He was an artist himself, and he taught her

about photography, literature and nature.

By Evelyn Quezada, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.09.17

Word Count 696

Level 810L

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Page 2: Artists: Frida Kahlo · Artists: Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo Synopsis: Frida Kahlo was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon on July 6, 1907, in Mexico City, Mexico. She is considered

Education

At the age of 15, in 1922, Kahlo enrolled in the famous National Preparatory School. She was

a brave and outspoken student with plans to attend medical school.

In 1925, these plans were halted forever. Kahlo was on a bus that was hit by a trolley car. She

suffered several severe injuries. While she was recovering in bed, she spent her time painting.

Kahlo had a special easel that allowed her to paint while she was lying down, with a mirror

above her so she could paint her self-portraits. Kahlo would continue to paint self-portraits for

the rest of her life. "I paint myself because I am so often alone," she once said.

Proud Of Her Mexican Heritage

By 1927, Kahlo had mostly recovered from her injuries. She got involved in politics and joined

the Mexican Communist Party. The communists believed that property should be shared.

Their goal was to do away with the gap between the rich and the poor, and to have an equal

economy for everyone. Kahlo met several leading communist figures, including the painter

Diego Rivera. Rivera was famous for his murals. These were enormous paintings that he

made directly on walls.

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Page 3: Artists: Frida Kahlo · Artists: Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo Synopsis: Frida Kahlo was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon on July 6, 1907, in Mexico City, Mexico. She is considered

A year after they met, Kahlo and Rivera were married in 1929. The couple moved to

Cuernavaca, México, where Kahlo focused on her art. She had always been proud of her

heritage and began demonstrating her Mexican pride through her clothing. She wore

traditional dresses, colorful tops and long flowing skirts. This flamboyant style also appeared

in Kahlo's paintings. It shaped how the world would soon come to know her and her work.

Kahlo Abroad

Rivera's work took the couple to the United States, where Rivera was hired to paint murals.

Kahlo was disappointed by American life. She disapproved of the rich people living in their

fancy homes while the poor went hungry. Instead of being social, she focused on developing

her style of painting.

In 1934, the couple returned to Mexico. Their marriage started to suffer. Rivera was not happy

about leaving the United States, and Kahlo was once again facing health problems. Both

Rivera and Kahlo began dating other people. Kahlo had female romantic partners throughout

her lifetime and was openly bisexual.

In 1937, a collection of Kahlo's paintings was shown at the National Autonomous University of

Mexico. Kahlo was eventually invited to show her work in New York. With her fresh paintings

and bold appearance, she was widely praised in the United States.

Divorce, Remarriage And Illness

In 1939, Kahlo and Rivera ended their marriage. The couple split but remained friends. Kahlo

returned to her childhood home in Mexico, where she created her most well-known paintings.

A year later, she and Rivera got back together and remarried.

In Kahlo’s final years, her health worsened and she fell into a deep sadness. Her work

continued to win praise, and she kept painting. Kahlo passed away on July 13, 1954, at the

age of 47.

Legacy

Kahlo’s fame continues to grow. She is now recognized as one of Mexico’s most famous

artists and is known worldwide for her striking paintings. She is considered an iconic figure in

the LGBTQ, feminist and Mexican communities.

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Page 4: Artists: Frida Kahlo · Artists: Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo Synopsis: Frida Kahlo was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon on July 6, 1907, in Mexico City, Mexico. She is considered

Quiz

1 Which section of the article MOST highlights the idea that Kahlo's unique style was partly the

result of unfortunate circumstances early in her life?

(A) Synopsis

(B) "Early Life"

(C) "Education"

(D) "Kahlo Abroad"

2 Select the paragraph from the section "Kahlo Abroad" that BEST explains how Kahlo's personal

life was affected by her time abroad.

3 Which of the following MOST influenced Frida Kahlo's artwork?

(A) her service in the Mexican Communist Party

(B) her marriage to Diego Rivera

(C) her hatred of culture in the United States

(D) her time alone after her terrible accident

4 Read the section "Proud Of Her Mexican Heritage."

What is the MOST important reason why Kahlo wore traditional Mexican clothing?

(A) to prove that she could live out societal norms

(B) to help her husband understand her history

(C) to highlight her pride in her cultural background

(D) to show her relationship to the Mexican Communist Party

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4