It"s so nice that
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera – a fascinating couple that painted in
extraordinary and post-revolutionary times – are represented on Mexico's
500 peso note. The artists contribute millions to the country’s economy
in merchandise. Their faces and artworks adorn everything from T-shirts
and mugs to postcards and matchboxes, not to mention the numerous
museums associated with the duo and their art. But their legacy extends
well beyond the tourist dollar.
From
the 1920s to the 1950s, these lovers were Mexico's more shocking
version of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, with an artistic output as well
known as their tumultuous relationship (which included his infidelity,
her bisexuality, their involvement in the Communist Party and their
friendship with Leon Trotsky, whom Kahlo is said to have bedded).
Rivera’s large-scale murals – completed for a post-revolutionary Mexico
that embraced public art to help educate the masses – captured the
collective spirit of his people, depicting the lives and struggle of the
working class, largely indigenous Mexicans.
What Rivera lacked in
looks (he was very large and considered ugly), he made up for in
talent. He was considered a genius who could turn his brush to any
style, including Cubist, Impressionist and Flemish. Kahlo's style,
meanwhile, was surrealistic; her forte was self-pitying (some might say
self-deprecating) portraits imbued with symbols. Though she was
beautiful, she frequently depicted her broken body in her art; she was
left a semi-invalid when, having already suffered from childhood polio,
she was seriously hurt in a tram accident. Her injuries left her unable
to bear children, which, when combined with Rivera’s infidelities,
caused her much angst. Indeed, for Kahlo, art imitated (her) life. She
once said, "I paint my own reality."
From the 1920s when they
started courting to Kahlo’s death in 1954 and Rivera’s death in 1957,
the artists churned out hundreds of works, many of which are on display
in museums and public spaces across Mexico City. The works, and the
sites associated with the artists, provide a lasting picture of the
historical, cultural and social context in which they painted.
An excellent first stop is
the stunning, compact amphitheatre in Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso,
a former Jesuit college-turned-museum in Mexico City’s historic centre.
The space is dominated by Rivera’s first mural, La Creación
, which
depicts the creation of science and art through figures and symbols.
The massive piece, completed on his return from Europe in 1923, paved
the way for the birth of Mexican muralism, a movement that spanned
around 50 years. Few people seem to know about this gem, so you are
likely to have it to yourself.
Source:
BBC
