Frida Kahlo Flashcards
What is the name of the piece FK
Tree of Hope- 1946
Materials and Technology FK
Dry Brush- seen on rocky areas at the bottom, shows texture and adds detail, more realistic
Oil Paint- seen from shiny saturated look, created wide tonal range, bolder look
Small Brush- seen in pleats of dress, adds detail and gives a cultural Mexican look
Scale FK
Sun is larger than moon- sun symbolises sacrificial blood (Aztec mythology), moon symbolises womanhood, sun is reality and dominates hopeful dark side
She is smaller in bed compared to sat on the bed- lying down in hospital bed covering her body, suggests hiding from reality
Light and dark side of painting- light represents reality and dark is hope, light she is injured in bed and dark she is wearing Mexican dress and holding back brace, suggests she wants to live normal life
Techniques FK
Oil Paint- seen from shiny saturated look, created wide tonal range, bolder look
Small Brush- seen in pleats of dress, adds detail and gives a cultural Mexican look
Dry Brush- seen on rocky areas at the bottom, shows texture and adds detail, more realistic
Working methods FK
Oil Paint- seen from shiny saturated look, created wide tonal range, bolder look
Small Brush- seen in pleats of dress, adds detail and gives a cultural Mexican look
Dry Brush- seen on rocky areas at the bottom, shows texture and adds detail, more realistic
Subject Matter FK
She is lying on a hospital bed. On the left side of the painting in the light side Kahlo can be seen lying down facing away from the viewer with scars along her back. This represents her tragic past and her loneliness, which creates a sense of empathy from the viewer.
Kahlo is wearing a Mexican dress. On the right side of the painting in the dark Kahlo is wearing a bright red dress with flowers on her head. This emphasised how proud she is to come from Mexico and how she wishes she could be who she really is without her trauma.
Kahlo is holding a back brace. In the dark side of the painting she is holding a pink back brace, which is what she had to wear due to her injury from the bus crash. This suggests that she wishes that she didn’t need to wear it and symbolises her hope.
Mood and Atmosphere FK
-The painting contains contrast. The light side which represents reality and has her lying, injured in a hospital bed contrasts with the dark side which has her sitting in a Mexican dress represents her hope. This creates a sense of sympathy for her as we can see what she wants but can never have.
-The painting is upsetting. The left side of the painting is harrowing as it contains her lying, facing away from the viewer in a hospital bed with scars along her back. This creates empathy in the viewer as we can see how tragic her past is and how she can’t get what she wants.
-The painting gives a sense of loss. The right side of the painting in the dark represents her hope and shows her in a Mexican dress sitting up. This shows us what she wants to have but can’t which creates a feeling of loss.
Style FK
Surrealist- Kahlo is drawn realistically however are separated by barren landscapes, suggests Kahlo can’t be who she wants to be and creates strong vidual impact
Mexican- wearing Mexican dress, shows off ethnicity and shows her pride and how she feels whole and hopeful while wearing them
Expressionism- Kahlo and contrasting background both display her sad story and injuries and how it’s affected her, makes the atmosphere upsetting
Colour FK
Saturated colours- red of her dress, makes it eye-catching
Contrast- warm on left and cold on right, emphasised different between Khalos
Unsaturated colours- background, contrast with dress showing her strength while in cultural clothes
Materials/Technology FK
Oil Paint- seen from shiny saturated look, created wide tonal range, bolder look
Small Brush- seen in pleats of dress, adds detail and gives a cultural Mexican look
Dry Brush- seen on rocky areas at the bottom, shows texture and adds detail, more realistic
Social and cultural influences FK
Kahlo was involved in a bus crash as a teenager.
This caused to have severe back pain with many operations to try and give her a better quality of life.
This influenced ‘Tree of Hope’ as Kahlo painted herself minus the back brace which she has had to wear her whole life since the accident. This is the ‘hopeful’ Kahlo as she wishes she could get rid of the brace.
Kahlo is very proud of her Mexican heritage.
She wanted to show to the world how she was proud of where she came from.
This is influenced ‘Tree of Hope’ as she can be seen wearing a Mexican dress, I know she is wearing a Mexican dress due to the bright colours, the flower and patterns.
Kahlo’s husband cheated on her many times with her sister.
This caused her to separate and she was alone.
This influenced ‘Tree of Hope’ as she is all alone in the painting with no one around to comfort her.
Kahlo had a miscarriage with her husbands baby.
This influenced ‘Tree of Hope’ as she is painted with a depressed look on her face and the background is pained as a ‘Baron landscape’, which is a reference to what a mother with a miscarriage would be called in history, which is a ‘Baron Woman’.
