Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: a stormy and impossible love
Just like the watercolors, the colors captured in their paintings, in which the bright colors stand out, also the feelings of loneliness, sadness and despair, so was the love of Frida and Diego. Before we begin to talk about the relationship between them, we must say that Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist known for her eccentric personality and eye-catching paintings. Her life was full of adversities: she suffered from poliomyelitis and at the age of 18 she had a terrible car accident that left her almost totally paralyzed. At the same time, Diego Rivera was an outstanding Mexican muralist of communist ideology, famous for creating works of high social content in public buildings.
Much has been said about the love relationship between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, but their love relationship is far from ideal, it was rather toxic, because according to different historians and letters from Frida Kahlo, there was infidelity and betrayal by both. Let's start with history.
Frida met Diego when he was painting the auditorium of the high school where she was studying. The relationship began when she asked him for advice and tutoring on painting, as she admired him deeply. Diego recognized her talent right away and encouraged her to follow traditional Mexican painting. He was also impressed with the type of woman Frida was, which is why he began to visit her at home. In fact, at that time, Diego included the image of Frida in one of his murals.
Frida felt supported by Diego and both began a loving relationship. On August 21, 1929, shortly after they met and although Frida's parents disagreed, they married in a simple ceremony. Frida's mother rejected this marriage because she considered Diego very old, he was 42 and Frida 22. Her father showed less resistance because he knew that Diego Rivera was well off and could help Frida with her illness. Many of her friends, though surprised by the choice, understood that this could be a way to develop her artistic career.
One of the things that was a problem for Frida was her inability to get pregnant. At the beginning of 1930, she became pregnant for the first time. Unfortunately, she has to have an abortion because the fetus was in a bad position. As a consequence of her car accident, her pelvis was fractured in 3 places and the doctors informed her that she might never be able to have children. Even so, Frida became pregnant again, and although Diego was not he interested in having children, and she was worried about possible consequences during pregnancy, she decided to continue with the pregnancy. But unfortunately, she suffered another miscarriage. This destroyed her and left her traumatized.
Another reason the marriage had problems was because Frida wanted to return to Mexico and Diego wanted to stay in the United States, but in the end Diego gave in to his wife's wishes and they returned. At this time Frida became pregnant again and suffered an abortion again. Already at this time Frida's health began to deteriorate further and was confined to the hospital to amputate four toes because they had gangrene.
If this were not enough, Frida Kahlo discovered that Diego was maintaining sentimental relations with her younger sister, Cristina. Although Diego had already been unfaithful to her many times, Frida felt hurt by this betrayal on the part of her sister and husband. It was then when she left the common house and began to have relationships with other people. Among those people were American sculptor Isamu Noguchi, Russian politician Leon Trotsky, photographer Nickolas Muray, and many of his admirers. It is worth noting, that Frida Kahlo also had sentimental relationships with other women and openly declared herself bisexual.
By now, the relationship between Frida and Diego had deteriorated a lot and they decided to divorce. As it was Diego who asked for the divorce, Frida was emotionally affected, so she desperately tried to drown her sorrows in alcohol, but as she well said: "my sorrows know how to swim". Proof of all these feelings is the letter addressed to Nickolas Muray, one of her ex-lovers:
Two weeks ago we filed for divorce. I don't have words to tell you how much I've been suffering and knowing how much I love Diego you must understand that these problems will never end in my life, but after the last fight I had with him (on the phone), because I haven't seen him for almost a month, I understood that it's much better that he leave me. He told me the worst things you can imagine and the dirtiest insults I ever expected from him.
As a result of all these emotional problems, her health again created serious problems and it is when she began to experience severe back pain and develop a fungus in her hand. Diego, felt lost and asked her to marry him again. She accepted, but with the condition that she would not have sexual relations with him again. Because Diego missed her so much, he accepts the condition and they remarried.
After her second marriage to Diego, Frida's life became less complicated and more routine. Because she could no longer move, she spent a lot of time at home and the relationship with Diego became platonic. Proof of that relationship are the following lines:
Try not to work too much now that you start the fresh, take care of your eyes very much, do not live alone so that there is someone to take care of you, and whatever you do, whatever happens, your Frida will always adore you.
On July 14, 1954, Frida Kahlo died. With her died one of the most stormy loves that could be known. On one occasion she confessed: "I suffered two serious accidents in my life: one in which a bus knocked me to the ground, the other is Diego. Diego was by far the worst," a phrase that defines the suffering that the artist felt when she loved Diego Rivera. However, after his death, Diego he said: "I have realized that the most wonderful thing that has happened to me in my life has been my love for Frida". Unfortunately, it was too late.
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I hope to bring you another one as exciting as this one at another time. I remind you that you can vote for @adsactly as a witness and join our server in discord. Until a next smile.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
http://de10.com.mx/parejas/2018/07/06/la-enfermiza-y-destructiva-relacion-de-frida-kahlo-y-diego-rivera
https://www.yorokobu.es/cartas-de-amor-de-frida-kahlo/
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/el-dia-que-murio-frida-kahlo
Written by @nancybriti
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Really a stormy love, of those loves that hurt because they do not have strong bases in respect, communication and consideration. I think the gap between their ages, the difference of interests, the temperaments, among other things, could have determined that this relationship was more toxic than anything else. Unfortunately there are this kind of loves, in my opinion this is incomprehensible. Thank you, @nancybriti and @adsactly for another great publication.
Very good synthesis of such a complicated story of love and lack of love, @nancybriti. I think it is almost inevitable the conflict between people of great individual and artistic character, as in this case and many others of similar nature. As far as Frida is concerned, in particular, we have a woman with a life touched by an unhappy fate, along with a strong personality, perhaps influenced by that profound tendency of the Mexican soul that Octavio Paz baptized as the "labyrinth of solitude". And in Diego, much of the arrogant Mexican "machismo" and, moreover, communist; a terrible mixture. Still, it was a tragically attractive couple. Thank you for your magnificent and well illustrated post, @nancybriti, and also @adsactly for allowing us to read it.
Very cool art love it and please check out my artblog @steemituplife
Love Frida😊🤗 always an inspiration.
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I really like your publications, even though I do not speak English translate them to understand them I will follow all your publications because I want to grow like you.
Diego Rivera's autobiography was an interesting read.
Wow!!!This is really so beautiful..