Frida Kahlo’S Life In Her Artwork The Broken Column
The artwork from Frida Kahlo, The broken column 1944, told me a lot about her life. I find most of her very autobiographical because she expresses a lot about what happened in her life by painting. Every painting will say something about how she felt, got treated and mostly how she dealt with it. Not only she painted what was going in her life but also gave the audience a message on how bad the pain is, passing a very strong message of how you can still find the will to work on the things you love.
This oil on canvas painting was enough for me to know about Frida Kahlo, without even reading and studying about her. The painting in itself tells a lot about the artist and her life than anything possibly would. A polio patient from birth she had to always wear that metal corset which represent more of surgical support than polio support. This corset made Kahlo took her life but it gave life to her paintings, There is always the pain, sadness and a lot of emotions showing in every work of hers. She tells about how her life, which was so depressing and painful due to the corset which is holding her damaged body. The nails on her whole body makes her feel how every part of her body was in pain, telling how helpless she was.
The irritation and suffocation of being at the same position all her life was a way to tell people and making them feel how she felt. The crack between the body makes me believe how her body was divided into different parts, the column in the centre is in verge to break, making it seem how her body is week and delicate. The sharp erotic shape column relates to the sexual side of Kahlo because of her beauty. Passing on the message of how she is proud of her beauty regardless of whatever the circumstances are. Frida looks very strong and confident in the painting, she is crying but her eyes are at the front challenging both herself and the audience to face her situation. The confidence to live and not give up with what you have is what her work tells the people now and back then too.
The style of her painting is very unique, putting the brush strokes very neatly and firmly, showing how she wants to convey the message very clearly letting viewers know what is she going through in her life.
