The artwork “Self Portrait with Monkeys” is a celebrated creation by artist Frida Kahlo, completed in 1943. This self-portrait is rendered in oil on canvas and is a part of the Naïve Art movement, specifically Primitivism. The piece measures 81.5 by 63 centimeters and is currently housed in the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection in Mexico City, Mexico. It remains an exemplar of the genre, depicting the artist’s intimate connection with nature and her personal iconography.
In the artwork, Frida Kahlo presents herself in a frontal pose, commanding the viewer’s attention with a direct and unflinching gaze. Surrounded by lush, tropical vegetation and the striking presence of four monkeys, Kahlo positions herself as both a part of, and apart from, the natural world. The artist’s traditional Tehuana attire and her choice of companions in the monkeys—which were known to be her beloved pets and symbolic figures in her paintings—convey complex narratives of identity, companionship, and protection. The intimate scale and the detailed rendering of her features and the monkeys emphasize the personal significance of the artwork. The dense foliage and rich colors are suggestive of the vibrant natural environment that often featured in her works, interweaving the themes of fertility, growth, and life with the ongoing narrative of Kahlo’s own experiences and emotional states.
