“A picture is worth a thousand words”. This phrase is very common, but it has lost meaning because of its frequent use. However, the significance of this phrase can be better understood by analyzing works of art. Throughout the years, painting has been used by many artists to express their feelings. For these artists, a picture is worth a thousand words because they use a painting to express the feelings that they were not able to express with words. Specifically, the painter Frida Kahlo is recognized for using the art of painting to express her physical and emotional suffering. One of Kahlo’s artworks is known as The Broken Column. This work of art shows Kahlo split down the middle, and in the place of her spine is a broken column. Also,
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This painting “is symbolic of the artist's pain during her divorce from [Diego] Rivera and the subsequent transitioning of her constructed identity” (Frida Kahlo Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works). The cause of this divorce was that Rivera had several affairs which made Kahlo suffer emotionally. After their divorce, Kahlo painted this self-portrait, in which she depicts her German and Mexican nationalities. In the artwork, Kahlo painted two versions of herself. The Kahlo on the left wears a European dress, and the version on the right wears a traditional Mexican dress. The Kahlo wearing the European dress represents Kahlo’s German culture before marrying Rivera, and the traditional Mexican dress represents Kahlo’s culture after she married Rivera. Overall, the painting symbolizes Kahlo’s effort to please Rivera by transitioning from her father’s German culture to Rivera’s Mexican culture. It is inferred that Kahlo made this change for Rivera because the Frida that is wearing the traditional Mexican dress also holds a locket with a picture of Rivera. A further analysis of the painting allows the viewer to also observe that the background of the painting seems to be stormy. Kahlo used the background of her paintings to also express her feelings. In this case, the stormy background symbolizes her suffering and torment. This emotional torment was caused by
This painting “is symbolic of the artist's pain during her divorce from [Diego] Rivera and the subsequent transitioning of her constructed identity” (Frida Kahlo Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works). The cause of this divorce was that Rivera had several affairs which made Kahlo suffer emotionally. After their divorce, Kahlo painted this self-portrait, in which she depicts her German and Mexican nationalities. In the artwork, Kahlo painted two versions of herself. The Kahlo on the left wears a European dress, and the version on the right wears a traditional Mexican dress. The Kahlo wearing the European dress represents Kahlo’s German culture before marrying Rivera, and the traditional Mexican dress represents Kahlo’s culture after she married Rivera. Overall, the painting symbolizes Kahlo’s effort to please Rivera by transitioning from her father’s German culture to Rivera’s Mexican culture. It is inferred that Kahlo made this change for Rivera because the Frida that is wearing the traditional Mexican dress also holds a locket with a picture of Rivera. A further analysis of the painting allows the viewer to also observe that the background of the painting seems to be stormy. Kahlo used the background of her paintings to also express her feelings. In this case, the stormy background symbolizes her suffering and torment. This emotional torment was caused by