Interesting facts about the queen of Bohemia Frida Kahlo

Mexican surrealist painter Frida Kahlo was born 06 07 1907 and died 13 07 1954 at the age of 47. She would now be 113. Whether you believe in numerology or not, you cannot help but notice the re-occurring number theme in the inspiring, yet, tragic life of the queen of Bohemia Frida Kahlo.

If you are only just discovering the life of Frida, you may only know her for her iconic eyebrows, her flower-decorated hair, long skirts and that she loved to paint. Like many artists, her fame has only grown since her death. Now, she’s viewed as an icon of female creativity. But only a few know her story and why this eccentric woman is an inspiration to so many.

Tragic life that inspired great art

Her struggles began in childhood when she contracted polio at the age of 6. This caused her right leg and foot to grow much thinner, which affected her for the rest of her life and made her hide behind the long skirts.

Her father encouraged her to take on ‘manly’ sports with the hope of building up her physical strength, so from a young age, Frida played soccer, went swimming, and even wrestled – which for a girl was unprecedented. This only added to her outspokenness and bravery which is still remembered by the world and especially feminist movements.

However, the combination of a tragic accident, unhappily married life, two miscarriages and physical and psychological pain led the queen of Bohemia Frida Kahlo to be severely depressed and have suicidal tendencies.

But difficult life experiences have also inspired her to paint. To take her mind off of the pain, she started painting and finished her first self-portrait the following year after her accident. Frida Kahlo once said,

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

Through her life, Frida painted over 200 portraits of herself, family and friends. She loved to paint, cook and garden, and dressed every day as if she was preparing for a fiesta. However, there is much more to the queen of Bohemia Frida Kahlo, see below some interesting facts which you may not have known.

1. One more interesting fact related to Frida’s date of birth and numerology:

Frida Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907, in Coyoacan, Mexico City, but she often told people she was born in 1910. This was 3 years after her birth so that people would directly associate her with the Mexican Revolution that began in 1910.

       2. She had an affair with the founder of the Red Army.

The founder of the Red Army, the famous Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky came to Mexico to receive political asylum from the Soviet Union. He first stayed with Rivera, Frida’s husband at a time. Rivera and Frida had quite an independent relationship, having their own studios and often staying apart. This freedom later resulted in Trotsky having an affair with Kahlo. Kahlo created a painting titled Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky to commemorate her brief affair.

         3. She appeared in VOGUE.

There is an internet rumour that Kahlo appeared on the cover of Vogue Paris in 1939, but her first appearance was an article in 1937 for American Vogue. The featured article was called Senoras of Mexico. In reality, the artist wouldn’t make it onto the cover of Vogue until well after her death. The November 2012 issue of Vogue Mexico used famous photographer Muray’s image of Frida, taken in 1939, making her a cover girl almost 60 years after her death.

        4. Her art sets records. 

In 1939, when the Louvre acquired her painting The Frame, Kahlo became the first 20th-century Mexican artist to have their work enter into a major international collection. But that’s not the only record Frida broke. By 1984 her work was declared part of Mexico’s national cultural heritage, making it rare to find her paintings in international auctions. Still, in 1990 she was the first Latin American artist to sell at auction for over $1 million. Her work continues to gain value, with Two Lovers in a Forest selling for $8 million in 2016.

If you love the queen of Bohemia Frida Kahlo as much as we do, you’ll also love our Frida’s collection.