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Frida Kahlo's Private Photos Give New Insight Into The Painter's Personal Life (PHOTOS)

Frida Kahlo

The Huffington Post   First Posted: 03/21/2012 2:42 pm Updated: 03/22/2012 4:05 pm

Frida Kahlo is best known for her painted self-portraits, but an exhibit titled "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos", which showcases photographs from the artist's private collection, provides us with a new insight into Kahlo's private life.

The collection includes over 6,500 pictures which were kept private for over 50 years after Kahlo's death. In 2007 the photographs were finally displayed to the public and kept at the "Frida Kahlo Museum" in Mexico City. But now some of the personal photographs are on display for the first time in the U.S at Artisphere in Arlington, Virginia.

"It's fun to see snapshots of these people just living their lives," said Cythnia Connolly, visual curator at Artisphere to NPR. "It's a window into her life."

The photos were originally found in the house where Kahlo and her husband and fellow painter, Diego Rivera, lived. Some of the photos are of the artist while others were taken by Kahlo herself. Although best known for her painting, Kahlo came from a long lineage of photographers. Her father Guillermo made his living as a photographer, a skill he learned from his own father. Many of the photographs in the collection include self-portraits of her father. Others were taken by prominent photographers--some of Kahlo's close friends-- Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Tina Modotti and Nickolas Muray among others.

Have A Look At Some Of The Pictures In "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos":

Frida Kahlo: Her Photos
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Frida Kahlo is best known for her painted self-portraits, but an exhibit titled "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos", which showcases photographs from the artist's private collection, provides us with a new insi...
Frida Kahlo is best known for her painted self-portraits, but an exhibit titled "Frida Kahlo: Her Photos", which showcases photographs from the artist's private collection, provides us with a new insi...
 
 
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03:54 PM on 04/27/2012
that eyebrow.
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MikeElPaso
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05:24 PM on 04/16/2012
The top photo looks a lot like Beyonce.
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pragmaticalpaula
"all is impermanent."
02:45 AM on 03/25/2012
Frida Kahlo is my favorite female painter, and she is second behind Monet in my all time favorites. It may have to do with having fibromyalgia, I can relate to her depictions of pain.
01:38 PM on 03/24/2012
Reading the posts there are so many that have never heard of Frida. Though not very prolific she is considered as one of the greatest female artists ever! Try watching the Movie Frida with Salma Hayak as Frida. Great movie and pretty accurate story. Crazy life, involved in the politics of her time, she and Diego were quite the worldwide power art couple in the 30's, 40's and 50's. Her paintings are powerful and troubling and thought provoking.
10:19 AM on 03/24/2012
6500 photos and all we get is 10? Geez.
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Susanne Freeborn
Talk sense to a fool & he calls you foolish
05:38 AM on 03/23/2012
I would have loved to have seen hundreds more of these photographs. I wish I was near that museum.
01:27 PM on 03/24/2012
I have been to Mexico City more than 10 times and this trip went to Frida Kahlo Museum Casa Azul for the first time. It was great! It is in a wonderful neighborhood with fantastic coffee shops and a wonderful church. Will definatyely go back again. however, the majority of her work is displayed in the collectioon od Delores Olmedo (not sure of spelling). What a wonderful hacienda and museum if you like paintings by Frida and Diego Rivera. That's a must see! All these museums are off the beaten tour group path and enjoyasble without huge crowds.
05:31 PM on 03/22/2012
All the compliments of her as an artist are gratifying. We should not forget that both Frida and her husband Diego were Communists and were very engaged in the politics of their time and country. As well, they sheltered Trotsky until he was assassinated and Frida had an affair with him. She was also bi-sexual but the love of her life was undoubtedly Diego Rivera. I'm only posting this because so many people seem to forget about these passions of great artists. Especially, in the US, there is so much phobia about left politics and sexuality.
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Pansey
California transplant living in the South
06:22 PM on 03/22/2012
LEFT politics and sexuality???? Meaning the RIGHT are pure as the driven snow???? Come on, write clearly so we know what you're trying to say.
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DanEboi
08:39 PM on 03/22/2012
And your point?
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TAIsabel
Suffer no fools.
01:22 PM on 03/22/2012
A remarkable artist, an extraordinary person and a magical being straight out of the pages of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
12:21 PM on 03/22/2012
Very beautiful and touching. Thank you.
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RuralLib
11:18 AM on 03/22/2012
i enjoyed Barbara Kingsolver's novel, The Lacuna, which has the history of Frida and Diego at its core.
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g-moi
Let's GoGreen. We Can Do It.
12:37 PM on 03/22/2012
Me too, what a novelist she is!
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Susanne Freeborn
Talk sense to a fool & he calls you foolish
05:36 AM on 03/23/2012
Loved that book. Kingsolver is such a wonderful writer.
11:16 AM on 03/22/2012
I saw an exhibit of her works in San Antonio many years ago . . . very intense and interesting.
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anneeger
Per aspera ad astra
10:54 AM on 03/22/2012
What a unique, great woman artist. Those pictures though do not look too interesting.
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12:03 PM on 03/22/2012
Agree. Those pics still show her fierceness and beauty, though -- couldn't be otherwise.
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Pumpkin2
The happiness of the bee and dolphin is to exist
10:39 AM on 03/22/2012
A very interesting life. I own the book"I Will Never Forget You" Frida Kahlo and Nickolas Muray by Salomon Grimberg, copyright 2004. It is on her life and work along with a series of photographs and letters. I recommend it. I thought Frida Kahlo was beautiful.
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wckoko
It's been real.Real what, we're not saying...
10:28 AM on 03/22/2012
I love Frida - I've been a fan since the first time I saw one of her self-portraits at MOMA many years ago. For anyone interested in Frida, I strongly recommend Hayden Herrera's excellent biography.
10:17 AM on 03/22/2012
I love these photos. We were lucky enough to get to see her exhibit when it was in Philadelphia a few years ago and it was stunning. Her exploration of her personal pain through at was powerful and amazing to see in person. All in all a great experience.