“The Dream (The Bed)” is an artwork by Frida Kahlo dating to 1940, which emphasizes her distinctive blend of Naïve Art (Primitivism) and Surrealism. This oil canvas painting measures 74 by 98.5 centimeters and falls under the genre of symbolic painting. It is part of the Nesuhi Ertegun Collection and is located in New York City, New York, United States.
The artwork depicts a vivid and symbolic scene where two beds are superimposed against a cloudy sky background. On the upper level, we see a skeleton figure lying on its back, adorned with a bouquet of flowers and attached to a device that seems to encompass medical metaphors related to pain and recovery. Directly below, on the lower bed, rests a human figure, presumably a representation of the artist herself, enveloped in a blanket with an intricate pattern of vines and leaves, suggesting a connection to nature or growth. The beds are disconnected from any ordinary setting, floating in an ambiguous space, which might be interpreted as a dream state or a reflection on the boundary between life and death. The emotional intensity and personal symbolism that Kahlo is known for are prominent in this artwork, inviting a wide array of interpretations anchored in themes of life, mortality, and the subconscious.
