Frida Kahlo’s painting "The Broken Column" was painted in 1944 and represents a tragic bus accident that happened to Frida during her early adulthood life. The back story to this painting is the reason why Frida began painting to begin with. Another reason why this painting should be preserved is because of the timely message it holds towards its audience. This message being that though one’s body may perish little by little one's spirit is kept alive by choice.<!--more-->

One of the major events that took place during the time this painting was made was the Mexican Revolution. During this time this event really shaped life for the people of Mexico because they had gained their independence from Spain. As mentioned in the Colombian Electronic Encyclopedia. "Mexican artist...were committed principally to the expression of revolutionary, political and social themes" (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.)

This art work was typical of its era because, though it was very unique in itself; its ideas were gleamed from an art technique called medical imagery. Medical imagery was also used by Diego Rivera, Frida's husband and by painter's Frida had come across through her husband.

The reason why this work stands out from its peers is because it was unlikely for a woman to paint nude paintings much less the nude person being themselves. Though Frida had a Catholic back round she was bold enough to go outside the lines of what was expected from all woman of her time. In an essay written by David Lomas and R. Howell they go as far to say that with this painting Frida "exploded preconceptions of what is permissible in high art and proclaimed a message...” (Lomas and Howell.)

People received Frida Kahlo's "The Broken Column" in a good way. In an article written by David Lomas and R. Howell they mention that this painting “caused one to question the boundaries and exclusions enforced by art (Lomas and Howell.)

At one time people thought that Frida was a part of the surrealist movement taking place at that time because of this painting. Some Americans received this painting as juxtaposition. Frida made it clear that she was not trying to be surreal in her work and that she was just painting for herself (Watt.) Another interesting thing about this painting is that as surreal as it may seem some of Kahlo’s ideas were simply influenced by her culture. The Broken Column by Frida Kahlo is still treasured today. More interesting facts about it are still being found. The Broken Column is hung in a garden at Museo Dolores Olmedo Patino in Xochimilco, Mexico (Hecht.) People still show interest for this painting and as one writer quoted that it symbolizes “The prison of the body and the freedom of the soul...” (Seaman.) The difference that I noticed about how this painting was received back then and now is that people are all the more interested in it now than ever. Instead of just seeing this painting as juxtaposition, people understand that there is a meaning behind this work of art.

My personal reaction to this work is that I love it for the reason that I can extremely relate to its meaning. I find it very sentimental and useful in life. In an article by Graham Watt he talks about what a historian said about it " The Broken Column" represents... the damage to Frida's self confidence during a traumatic childhood and the pain of Diego's frequent affairs..."(Watt.) He also presents a quote from Frida on this painting "Waiting with anguish hidden away, the broken column, and the immense glance, footless through the vast path... carrying on my life enclosed in steel... If only I had his caresses upon me as the air touches the earth (Watt.) Frida went through most of her life trapped inside her painful body. In this I truly admirer Frida's strong character through a life of passion and pain she still endured being heartbroken and most of all in serious pain feeling trapped; she still held on to herself as if it was all she had.

Another work that was similar to Frida's "The Broken Column" is that of her husband Diego Rivera's 1944 Mural "The History of Cardiology". Diego painted this mural for the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia in Mexico City, dedicated to Dr. Chavez. This work is similar to that of Frida's painting because they both are using medical imagery. The only difference in their painting is that Frida uses medical imagery in a disrupting way. While Diego on the other hand, as Lomas and Howell mentioned in an article "Diego depicts... hugely and heroically masculine... (Lomas and Howell.) In this, though Frida did get the idea of medical imagery from her husband she made it her own by using it to express her pain.

What is most significant about this painting for future generations to be aware of is that the story behind this painting is the reason why Frida Kahlo began to paint. Frida Kahlo at first wanted to study medicine but then she shattered her spine in a bus accident. She then took up painting and became the most famous female painter of all time (Watt.)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Work Cited

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Watt, Graham. <em>Frida Kahlo</em>. <em>The British Journal of General Practice</em>. The Royal College of General Practitioners, 1 Aug. 2005. Web. 02 Nov. 2011.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Lomas, David, and Rosemary Howell. <em>Medical Imagery in the Art of Frida Kahlo.</em> British Journal of General Practice, 23 Dec. 1989. Web. 02 Nov. 2011.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

"Mexican Art And Architecture." <em>Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition</em> (2011): 1-2. <em>Academic Search Complete</em>.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Toledo-Pereyra, Luis H. "Diego Rivera and His Extraordinary Art of Medicine and Surgery." <em>Journal of Investigative Surgery</em> 20.3 (2007): 139-143. <em>Legal Collection</em>. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.