Self-Portrait with Loose Hair (1947) by Frida Kahlo

Self-Portrait with Loose Hair - Frida Kahlo - 1947

Artwork Information

TitleSelf-Portrait with Loose Hair
ArtistFrida Kahlo
Date1947
MediumOil on Masonite
Dimensions61 x 45 cm
Art MovementNaïve Art (Primitivism)
Current LocationDes Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA, US
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About Self-Portrait with Loose Hair

In 1947, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo created her famous self-portrait “Self-Portrait With Loose Hair”. The self-portrait depicts the artist as thin, tired, but also relaxed in her famous large black dress. The painting is significant as it reflects what she was feeling in her own personal life at that time. It was during this period of her life that Kahlo met Diego Rivera, who captivated her with a mural he was working on at school – which was eventually featured in the painting. As Kahlo was divorcing Rivera at this time, the painting also shows cracks – symbolizing the deep marks it left on her soul and being.

“Self-Portrait As A Tehuana (Diego On My Mind)” painted in 1943 is another iconic work of art by Frida Kahlo during this difficult period of her life. This self-portrait expresses a sense of austerity while also conveying deep sadness, anger and resentment due to the split from Rivera. The symbolic elements including the shattered mirror suggest both inward and outward reflections of herself and her tumultuous relationship with Diego. Both these works capture Kahlo’s emotional state in those years exquisitely and offer us a profound insight into her innermost thoughts.

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