Pocket Mirror W, Ø 80 mm, Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with bonito

APMW000073

A pocket mirror is a nice museum gift: It is handy to use: small and compact mirror for in your handbag or for traveling.

Frida Kahlo Portrait: A Journey of Emotion and Mexican Folk Art Influence

In this evocative Frida Kahlo portrait, the artist captures the deep emotions she felt following the loss of her father. Frida shared a warm and loving relationship with him, which contrasted with the more distant bond she had with her mother. This painting serves as an expression of her grief, channeling her feelings through expressive brushstrokes to reflect the complex nature of her emotions.

Dressed in black, Kahlo subtly symbolizes mourning for her father. On her shoulder, she includes her beloved pet parrot, Bonito, who had also passed away. Unlike in many of her other self-portraits, Frida does not wear jewelry or the signature flower in her hair, drawing attention to the sense of loss she was experiencing at the time. However, the painting’s background is full of life, with vibrant plants and insects, a nod to Kahlo’s recurring Life and Death theme that appears throughout her works.

Kahlo's artistic path was unique—she did not attend formal art school. Instead, her style was influenced by her father’s art, the Renaissance masters, and celebrated European artists like Amedeo Modigliani. By the time she created this piece, Kahlo had developed a distinctive style rooted in Mexican folk culture. Many of her self-portraits integrate elements of Catholicism and pre-Columbian mythology, which became central themes in her broader body of work.