In August of 1940, Frida Kahlo began her oil painting on canvas, Self-Portrait As A Tehuana (Diego On My Mind). This work of art is also known as Diego in my thoughts or thinking of Diego as it portrays Frida Kahlo in a traditional Mexican outfit embellished with an image of her husband, Diego Rivera on her forehead. Delving into the background and culture of the subject, this oil painting reflects the artist’s thoughts towards her beloved husband and strong belief in their enduring and constant connection regardless of their physical distance from each other.
This painting was created around the same time as Frida’s celebrated piece Self-Portrait (Dedicated To Leon Trotsky) painted in 1937. In this self portrait, Kahlo depicts herself adorned with symbols associated with Mexico’s Trotskyite revolutionaries such as holding a rifle in one hand and a paintbrush in the other arm while it capturing her exposure to Trotskyism.
The combination of these two self portraits signify an emotional mix between yearning for her late husband while also expressing feelings associated with political ideologies and symbols they both embraced while living as a couple before his death. Both these works reflects themes inspired by love, devotion and deep mutual respect that existing between Frida and Diego despite cultural divides and turbulent romantic life they seemingly shared together.:
