70th anniversary of the death of Frida Kahlo - La Casa Azul honors the Mexican icon

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the death of Frida Kahlo, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

Born on July 6, 1907 in Coyoacán, Mexico, Frida left a legacy that inspires and moves generations. She died on July 13, 1954, but her influence on the art world and beyond is still present and significant.

The Frida Kahlo Museum , also known as La Casa Azul , has curated an impressive memorial exhibition that is enriched with top-class conferences and artistic events. A special highlight is the exclusive demonstration of the new documentary "Frida" by Carla Gutiérrez , which impressively brings the moving life story of the painter to life using animated paintings.

The documentary is a fascinating and inspiring journey of discovery through life, the work and soul of the famous artist Frida Kahlo .

We experience your own words from illustrated diary of the painter, her letters, essays and interviews. Frida's history awakens to life by poetic animations, inspired by her works. With Frida, director Carla Gutiérrez presents an impressive portrait that illustrates why both the artist and her art are so powerful.

The film was published exclusively on @primevideo in streaming on March 14th.

Gutiérrez and her team have worked intensively together over two years to cover over 40 years of Frida's life and thus create a unique cinema experience. The lively portrait of Kahlo is skilfully reinforced by magical realism. However, their multi -layered voice is particularly impressive: fearless, seductive, defiant, vulnerable, rough and wonderfully alive.

Art historian emphasizes the complexity Kahlos

In a conversation with the art historian Luis Martínez Lozano , who specializes in modern and Mexican art, his assessment of the importance of Frida Kahlo was shared 70 years after her death at the Mexican news channel Unotv .

Martínez Lozano emphasized the relevance of honoring Kahlo's complexity: as an individual, as a woman who chose the path of the artist, as well as the cultural and social effects of her work. He emphasized that Frida Kahlo is perceived differently in Mexico and Europe, but has a great influence worldwide. Your personality has inspired numerous art forms, including exhibitions, videos, ballets and operas.

How did Frida Kahlo die? What is known about the circumstances of their death

Under the name Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderón, in Coyoacán, Mexico, the painter saw the light of day on July 6, 1907. Her life lasted 47 intensive years.

70 years ago, on July 13, 1954, she officially died of bronchitis. There are still rumors about an alleged suicide.

Her remains were buried in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and her coffin was covered with the flag of the Mexico Communist Party. Frida's body was then buried and kept her ashes in the Casa Azul.

Frida Kahlo died as she lived: intensive and painful. As she said herself, she was "killed by life" . Her death hit high waves and brought questions with different and unclear answers.

In an exclusive interview for National Geographic en Español in 2022, the writer Martha Zamora , biographer of the painter of Frida's last days.

She reported that her last public appearances in her solo exhibition and on the protest march against the intervention of the United States took place in the Guatemala government.

On the last occasions in which she was seen in public when she left her refuge - the blue house - she presented herself very badly [...]. Your mood was sad, especially with the march. One had the impression that she didn't even have the motivation to arrange and decorate herself as she was used to, with flowers on her head, big earrings and lots of color on the face. She came out with a wrinkled and battered facial expression and so we saw her in a wheelchair near the shopping center, surrounded by friends who even had to hold the banner that she was holding in hand.

(translated from Spanish)

In her book Frida: El Pincel de la Angustia, Martha put together testimonials from Frida's social environment. Friends, doctors, colleagues and family spoke to the author to enrich the artist's biography.

With regard to the death of Frida Kahlo, Zamora caught up with Cornelia Mayet, the practical nurse, called Frida "mother" . Mayet says that on July 13, 1954 she heard the arrival of the assistant from Diego Rivera, Frida's husband at around six in the morning:

[…] I left the bedroom towards Frida's bed. She had her eyes open, rigid and looked aside. Her right arm dangled out of bed. I touched her, I called her: "Daughter, what happened to you?" I felt how she got cold and called Manuel to come up and warn Mr. Rivera in his study what happened to the girl Frida. "

(translated from Spanish)

Frida's death certificate states that the cause of death was a "pulmonary embolism" . However, there can be several causes. Her biographer tells us of two: an inevitable death due to physical deterioration and an involuntary suicide due to an overdose of demerol .

As far as the first is concerned, Martha Zamora confirms that Frida Kahlo was aware of the enormous effort that required her condition for the people in her environment. Diego Rivera was responsible for coordinating the support that she kept alive. However, Frida saw how her husband's condition deteriorated. These fatigue phenomena motivated Frida to surrender to the conditions that her body imposed on her.

In the scenario of an overdose, the biographer indicates that Frida's dependence on Demerol became increasingly stronger. In her diary there is an extremely sad sentence as the last entry:

I hope that the departure is happy and I hope that I will never come back. "

Zamora interprets this last word as follows:

I am firmly convinced that it could be an overdose of Demerol that the dependent person injected (because she injected herself on many occasions) when she woke up in the middle of the night. "

Frida Kahlo, who did not experience the recognition that she enjoys today during his lifetime, was solemnly buried in the Palace of Fine Arts. With the support of Andrés Iduarte , a former classmate and director of the National Institute of Fine Arts , the funeral service was able to take place in this important place.

Martha Zamora reports that even the former President Lázaro Cárdenas was one of the personalities on the left in this photo who took part in the funeral. An important political act occurred as Arturo García Bustos, another student, placed the flag of the Mexico Communist Party on the coffin.

This political act had an impact on Andrés Iduarte, who had to resign from his office, and Frida's work. Frida Kahlos Works not exhibited in Mexico for over twenty years

70 years after her death, Frida Kahlo is seen and revered as an icon all over the world. It stands for countless people for the power to change. Frida, feminist, disabled, broken, social fighter and proud woman, arouses the desire in us to learn more about her, to stand up for just concerns and courageously meet the challenges of life.

Frida Kahlo's life - shaped by pain, will to live and creativity

Frida Kahlo was not only a painter, but also a combative woman who reinforced her life in her art. Her work is deeply autobiographically and traversed by elements of Mexican culture, personal pain and political engagement. At the age of six, she fell ill with Polio, which led to a lasting disability.

Later, at the age of 18, she suffered serious injuries in the event of a bus accident. These not only shaped their physical well -being, but also the motives and topics of their art.

Her most famous works, including "the broken pillar" and "Self -portrait with thorn neck band and Kolibri", reflect their physical and emotional agony, but also their irrepressible life energy and creativity.

Frida's influence on pop culture

Frida Kahlo has established itself as an icon of pop culture, similar to Andy Warhol in the USA. Your distinctive self -portraits are recognized worldwide and your visual language can be found on everything, from clothing to household items.

Her striking eyebrows and colorful costumes from Tehuantepec have almost become a synonym for creative rebels.

Posthumous recognition and memory

Although Frida had only moderate success during his lifetime, her talent and influence are celebrated worldwide today. In memory of their 70th anniversary of death, numerous exhibitions and events take place that pay tribute to their work and their life.

The Casa Azul, its former house in Coyoacán, is now a museum that attracts countless visitors and gives a deep insight into their lives and work.

Your legacy in modern art

Frida Kahlos influence is not just limited to painting. Her topics - from identity and postcolonialism to gender and class - have become central discourses in contemporary art and society. Young artists and activists worldwide refer to Frida as a pioneer and inspiration.

One of the current celebrations of their death is an important exhibition in the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), in which works and personal objects are shown rarely.

An extraordinary exhibition on Frida Kahlo will take place in France from September 18, 2024 to March 2, 2025: ¡Viva La Vida! In the Grand Palais Immersif in Paris.

Numerous events also take place in Mexico, including a new play about their lives and the already mentioned documentary, which shows previously unknown film materials and interviews with people who knew them personally.

A few final thoughts on the way ...

Frida Kahlo was more than just a painter. She was a fighter, a pioneer and a woman who converted her deepest pain points into art.

It reminds us that true beauty and expressiveness can grow from the darkest moments of our life.

Even 70 years after her death, Frida Kahlo remains a force that inspires, challenges and redefined the borders of art and society.

Find out about the unique life and work of the Mexican painter in our relatives:

• Frida Kahlo - Mexican painter and icon of emancipation
• Frida Kahlo's inspiring journey of life: a tribute to her unique career
• 24 astonishing (and little -known) facts about the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo de Rivera
• Inspired by Frida Kahlo-handpicked works of art as a homage to the Mexican art legend