!

On!Kathe!Kollwitz!and!Frida!Kahlo!! ! ! !

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Charly!Swing!

Fall!2013!

Art!and!Culture,!Margaret!McCann,!New!York!Academy!of!Art!

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Kathe!Kollwitz!

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1867!CC!Kathe!Schmidt!was!born!prior!to!the!FrancoCPrussian!war!(1870C71)!to!a!middle!

class!family!with!a!strong!religious!foundation.!!Her!grandfather!was!the!founder!of!the!Free!

Congregation!and!he!had!a!strong!influence!on!her!family’s!moral,!intellectual!and!social!values.!!

At!that!time!European!countries!were!driven!to!increase!their!imperialistic!strength!and!catch!

up!with!Britain’s!colonial!power,!which!lead!to!a!materialistic!culture!that!scorned!intellectual!

and!artistic!pursuits.!!Fortunately!her!family!valued!music,!literature!and!social!consciousness!

and!she!was!enrolled!in!a!private!school.!!When!her!father!discovered!Kathe’s!artistic!skill!he!

encouraged!her!to!study!art.!!Her!first!studies!were!in!painting!and!copper!engraving,!and!like!

many!artists!of!her!time!Kollwitz!abandoned!painting!for!printmaking,!a!cost!efficient!and!

“effective!medium!for!spreading!political!statements.”!!(Roggenkamp,!Shawn.!"Käthe!Kollwitz's!

In!Memoriam!Karl!Liebknecht."!Smarthistory,,Kathe,Kollwitz)!!

! Karl!Kollwitz,!Kathe’s!future!husband,!introduced!her!to!August!Babel’s!Women,and,

Socialism!at!an!early!age,!and!she!learned!of!a!new!conscious!drive!to!"remove!all!barriers!that!

make!one!human!being!dependent!upon!another,!which!includes!the!dependence!of!one!sex!

upon!another.!!“She!was!particularly!impressed!with!the!statement,!"In,the,new,society,women,

will,be,entirely,independent,,both,socially,and,economically...,The,development,of,our,social,life,

demands,the,release,of,woman,from,her,narrow,sphere,of,domestic,life,,and,her,full,

participation,in,public,life,and,the,missions,of,civilization.”!“!!!("Käthe!Kollwitz."!Second,World,

War,,Art.!Spartacus!Educational)!

Before!attending!the!Womens’!Academy!Berlin,!and!later!the!Womens’!Academy!

Munich,!Kathe!took!a!trip!to!Engadine,!Switzerland!where!she!met!Gerhart!Hauptmann!and!in!

1892!she!attended!his!play,!Die,Weber,!which!addressed!social!injustices,!famine!and!the!

uprising!of!workers.!!!Though!the!subject!matter!was!highly!objectionable!to!the!political!

authorities!of!the!time,!Kollwitz!was!motivated!by!the!theme!of!a!struggling!society!joining!

together!to!fight!for!their!rights.!!She!was!already!sketching!and!making!prints!of!the!

impoverished!people!who!waited!for!treatment!at!her!husbands’!medical!practice!and!rugged!

sailors!in!the!pub.!!In!true!humanist!form!she!made!the!story!of!the!weavers’!revolt!available!to!

the!common!people!who!could!not!see!the!play,!but!who!could!experience!the!story!of!the!

weavers’!plight!through!seven!accessible!images.!!When!Kollwitz!based!her!graphic!series!The$

Weavers’$Revolt!(1893C1897,!3!lithographs,!3etchings)!on!Hauptmann’s!play,!she!received!her!

first!opportunity!to!exhibit!her!work!and!was!selected!for!an!artistic!award,!which!Emperor!

Wilhelm!II!denied!due!to!the!controversial!

nature!of!the!series.!!The$Weaver’s$Revolt!

series!laid!the!foundation!for!an!art!career!

based!on!steadfast!humanist!values!to!fight!

against!an!unjust!world!through!art,!but!

Kollwitz!was!also!driven!by!her!desire!to!find!!

beauty!in!the!world.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!!!!!March$of$the$Weavers!(Weavers!Revolt)!

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Kollwitz!on!Social!Art:!“My,actual,motive,,however,,for,choosing,from,now,on,the,

representation,of,the,life,of,the,worker,was,that,selected,motifs,from,that,sphere,simply,

and,unconditionally,were,what,I,perceived,as,beautiful….,People,from,the,bourgeoisie,

were,entirely,without,charm,for,me.,The,bourgeoisie,life,seemed,entirely,pedantic,to,

me…..only,much,later,,when,I,became,acquainted,,especially,through,my,husband,,with,

the,difficulty,and,tragedy,of,the,depth,of,proletarian,life,,when,I,became,acquainted,

with,the,women,,who,came,to,my,husband,and,incidentally,also,came,to,me,,did,I,truly,

grasp,in,all,its,power,,the,fate,of,the,proletariat…Unresolved,problems,like,prostitution,,

unemployment,tormented,and,worried,me,and,acted,as,the,origin,of,my,attachment,to,

the,depiction,of,the,lower,classes,and,their,repeated,representation,offered,me,a,vent,,

or,a,possibility,to,tolerate,life.,,I,simply,found,proletarian,life,beautiful.,,As,Zola,or,

someone,said,,“The,beautiful,is,the,ugly.”,,(Prelinger,!1992,!76)!

,

There!was!a!lot!of!‘ugly’!that!surrounded,!immersed,!and!affected!her!life.!!!

In!the!beginning!stages!of!World!War!I!after!Russia!attacked!and!took!control!of!East!Prussia,!

Peter!Kollwitz!(Karl!and!Kathe’s!second!son)!enthusiastically!joined!the!military!and!within!two!

months!died!on!October!22,!1914,!in!the!Yser!Campaign.!!Grief,!exemplified!by!the!continual!loss!

of!thousands!of!children!through!ongoing!war,!caused!Kollwitz!to!spin!into!depression!and!

action.!!She!was!known!as!a!revolutionary!and!social!activist!and!became!a!politically!ambivalent!

and!hard!working!pacifist,!developing!a!body!of!art!driven!by!her!affection!for!the!universally!

essential!human!existence.!!She!portrayed!this!in!the!subjects!of!war,!poverty,!working!class!life,!

the!lives!of!ordinary!women,!and!ultimately!death.!!!

Consistent!with!her!true!admiration!for!common!people,!Kollwitz!was!determined!to!

make!‘an!art!of!reality’.!!!

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Diary!Entry,!1916;,“Read,an,article,by,Edward,von,Keyerling;,The,Coming,of,Art.,He,

turns,away,from,Expressionism,and,says,that,less,then,ever,after,the,war,will,the,

German,people,be,able,to,use,highQflown,“studio”,art.,What,it,needs,is,an,art,of,reality.,

Completely,my,opinion…,

This,relates,to,a,conversation,I,had,recently,with,Karl,concerning,my,little,sculpture.,,It,is,

true,that,it,fails.,,Why?,It,is,not,popular.,,The,average,spectator,does,not,understand,it.,,

Art,for,the,average,viewer,need,not,be,superficial.,,Indeed,,he,could,still,like,it,even,if,it,

were,flat.,But,surely,true,art,will,please,him,if,it,is,simple.”,,(Prelinger,!1992,!78),

This!statement!and!her!lifeClong!lack!of!interest!in!bourgeois!society,!leads!us!to!

understand!Kollwitz’!determination!to!create!art!that!aspired!to!a!high!level!of!aesthetic!

achievement!and!simultaneously!responded!to!the!needs!of!the!people.!!Though!historians!

continue!to!categorize!her!work!with!the!Expressionists,!Kollwitz!herself!disavowed!her!

association!with!the!Expressionist!movement!which!she!considered!“chauvinist,!antiCmodern,!

failed!to!be!understood!by!the!common!viewer”!(Prelinger,!1992,!76),!and!was!in!reality!only!

catching!up!to!subject!matter!she!had!been!addressing!all!along.!

As!an!academic!Kollwitz!was!honored!in!1919!as!the!first!woman!to!be!appointed!a!

professorship!in!the!Prussian!Academy!of!Art.!!She!had!not!wanted!to!accept!the!appointment!

because!she!was!concerned!about!being!associated!with!an!elitist!art!institution!when!what!she!

really!envisioned!was!a!new!antiestablishment!that!would!allow!art!to!flourish!and!artists!would!

have!a!role!in!transforming!society.!(Prelinger,!1992,!80)!(Work,Council,for,Art,Manifesto!1919,,

signed,by,Kathe,Kollwitz)!

She!also!resisted!being!associated!with!the!Communist!Party!and!considered!herself!

evolutionary!rather!than!revolutionary.!

!Diary!entry,!1920;!“I,am,ashamed,that,I,am,still,not,taking,a,stand,and,surmise,that,

when,I,declare,that,I,don’t,belong,to,a,party,,the,actual,reason,is,cowardice.,,Actually,,I,

am,in,fact,not,at,all,revolutionary,,but,rather,evolutionary,,but,since,one,praises,me,as,

an,artist,of,the,proletariat,and,of,the,revolution,and,shoves,me,ever,tighter,into,that,

role,,so,I,shy,away,from,not,continuing,to,play,that,role.,,I,was,revolutionary,,my,

childhood,and,youthful,dream,was,revolution,and,barricades,,were,I,still,young,I,would,

surely,be,a,communist,,even,now,something,yanks,me,over,to,that,side,,but,I’m,in,my,

fifties,,I,have,lived,through,the,war,and,seen,Peter,die,and,the,thousand,other,men.,,I,

am,horrified,and,shaken,by,all,the,hatred,in,the,world.,,I,long,for,the,kind,of,socialism,

that,lets,people,live,,and,find,that,the,earth,has,seen,enough,of,murder,,lies,,misery,,

distortion.,In,short,,of,all,these,devilish,things.,,The,communist,state,that,builds,on,this,

cannot,be,God’s,work.”,,(Prelinger,!1992,!80)!!!

!Yet,!she!admired!the!communist!ideals!of!Tolstoy!and!Dostoevsky!and!was!revitalized!

after!visiting!Russia!in!1927!as!a!representative!of!the!Society!of!Friends!of!the!New!Russia.!

Living!as!woman!driven!to!make!art!for!a!cause!during!the!Weimar!Republic!(1919–33),!Kollwitz!

was!highly!regarded!and!received!the!Prussian!Pour,le,mérite,award,in!1929,!but!as!World!War!II!

heightened,!Kollwitz!became!a!target!of!the!Nazi!regime.,,After!signing!a!political!petition!in!

1932!she!lost!her!studio!and!was!forced!to!abandon!her!position!(1933)!as!Head!of!the!Master!

Studio!for!Graphic!Design!at!the!Prussian!Academy!of!Art,!and!the!Third!Reich!banned!her!work!

from!being!exhibited!(1934C36).!!!Following!an!interview!that!publicized!her!sociopolitical!views!

in!the!Moscow!newspaper!Isvestia,(1936);!she!was!interrogated!and!threatened!with!

internment!in!a!concentration!camp;!and!on!the!year!of!her!70th!birthday,!she!was!included!in!

Hitler’s!exhibit!of!Degenerate,Art!in!1937.!!Three!years!later!her!husband!Karl!Kollwitz!died!and!

her!oldest!grandson,!Peter,!died!in!battle!in!

1942.!!The!next!year!her!house!and!her!oldest!

son’s!apartment!were!destroyed!in!air!raids.!!

Kathe!Kollwitz!died!the!22nd!of!April,!1945!

just!before!the!end!of!World!War!II.!!!!!$$

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Memorial$Sheet$of$Karl$Liebknecht$(1919C1920,!woodcut!heightened!with!white!and!black!ink)!!!

Prior!to!and!during!Kollwitz’!period!in!history!(1867C1945),!women!were!scarcely!

recognized!as!professional!artists,!so!she!was!in!a!unique!position!to!express!what!few!artists!in!

the!past!could!have!known,!a!mother’s!grief!for!the!loss!of!her!child.!!!From!her!deep!mourning!

and!devotional!drive!to!exert!influence!on!the!times,!Kollwitz!created!powerfully!simple!yet!

deeply!complex!expressions!through!posters,!lithographs,!etchings,!bronze!and!granite.!!

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Woman$with$Dead$Child!(1903,etching)!portrays!a!

raw,!naked!woman!who!envelops!her!child!in!the!

most!ravenous!gesture!as!he!lay!limply!in!her!lap.!

!!!!!!!!!!!Influenced!by!an!exhibit!of!woodcut!prints!by!!

!

Max!Klinger,!Kollwitz!started!working!in!the!medium!

herself!and!created!the!War!series!(1921C22,!woodcut,!

series!of!7,!plus!cover).!!In!The$Mothers!(1921C22,!

woodcut!from!the!War!Series),!Kollwitz!captured!the!

visceral!fear!and!anguish!of!women!seeking!shelter!in!a!huddled!embrace!so!tight!it!seems!they!

cannot!breath!and!dare!not!see,!though!they!cannot!help!but!wait!and!watch.!

$$$$$$$$$Survivors!(1923,!Lithograph)!portrays!a!war!

period!woman!at!the!center!of!the!image!failing!

but!steadfastly!trying!to!protect!the!orphaned!

children!and!wounded!men!while!feeling!

hollowing!and!void!herself.!

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True! to! the! beginning! of! her! activist! roots! as! a! poster!

designer!and!serving!her!need!to!create!art! for!a!cause,!Kollwitz!

used! the! element! of! kitch! to! speak! to! the! masses.! “Her! most!

famous! poster! is! probably!War—Never$ Again!”! (1924,! Poster),!

("The! Collection! /! Kathe! Kollwitz."! MoMA.org).! ! The! image!

expresses! the! urgency! of! her! passionate! call! for! peace,!

exemplified!by!the!graffiti!style!writing!and!a!figure!running!with!

one!hand!jutting!into!the!air!while!the!other!covers!his!heart.!!!In!

contrast,! Kollwitz! created! a! desirous! urgency! in,! Germany’s$

Children$ are$ Starving! (1924,! Charcoal! drawing! for! poster,! for!

Internationale!Arbeiterhilfe).!!!

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In!1904!Kollwitz!traveled!to!Paris!to!study!sculpture!at!the!Académie!Julian!and!met!

Rodin.!!Her!sculpture Pieta,!(1937C1939,!Bronze)!was!created!as!a!small!bronze!and!is!now!best!

known!as!the!focal!point!of!a!monumental!installation!in!Berlin!(Neue!Wache)!memorializing!the!

victims!of!war!and!tyranny.!!The!sculpture!is!intentionally!isolated!within!a!void!and!vulnerable!

to!the!elements.!!Unlike!Michelangelo’s!Mary,!whose!gesture!is!one!of!offering,!Kollwitz’!mother!

envelopes!her!child!in!the!consuming!mourning!of!a!woman!who!feels!she!failed!to!protect!her!

child.!!The!fact!that!this!piece!became!the!focal!point!of!a!monumental!pacifist!installation,!is!a!

tribute!to!the!success!of!Kollwitz’!mission!as!an!artist.!

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Kollwitz!finally!completed!the!promise!she!made!to!Peter!after!his!death!and!installed!

Parents,!(Granite,!1924C1932)!the!war!memorial!she!produced!18!years!after!several!

unsatisfactory!and!destroyed!attempts!at!creating!the!sculpture,!which!in!its!final!version!

depicts!Karl!and!herself!mourning!at!the!foot!of!their!son’s!grave;!a!stone!reminder!of!the!

eternal!pain!felt!by!parents!who!lost!children!in!war.!!

!! The$Call$of$Death,(1937,,Lithograph,,print,,#8)!is!the!

final!image!in!her!final!series,,Death,(,Lithograph,,1937,,Series,

of,8).!!An!artist!to!the!end,!she!shows!herself!calmly!reaching!

toward!the!isolated!hand!of!Death!in!resignation!to!its!silent!

touch!upon!her!shoulder;!epitomizing!her!final!experience!of!

the!universally!essential!human!existence.!!

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Frida!Kahlo!

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July!6,!1907!–!Magdalena!Carmen!Frida!Kahlo!y!Calderon!was!born!to!an!unhappily!

married!couple!in!Coyoacan!,!just!outside!Mexico!City.!!Her!father!was!an!educated!German!

Immigrant!and!photographer,!while!her!mother!was!an!uneducated!devout!Catholic!of!Spanish!

and!indigenous!Mexican!decent.!!Frida!learned!to!cope!with!physical!challenges!early!in!her!life.!!!

When!she!was!6!years!old!she!contracted!Polio!and!was!encouraged!by!her!father!to!play!sports!

typically!reserved!for!boys,!as!a!way!to!move!beyond!her!permanent!limp.!!This!canCdo!attitude!

and!lack!of!boundaries!regarding!gender!roles!served!Kahlo!throughout!her!life.!

Like!her!father,!Kahlo!was!intelligent!and!entered!the!National!Preparatory!School!in!

1922!with!the!intent!to!study!medicine.!With!a!ratio!of!35!to!2,000,!Frida!was!one!of!the!few!

girls!able!to!take!advantage!of!this!prestigious!honor,!but!another!tragedy!occurred.!While!she!

was!traveling!with!her!politically!active!boyfriend,!their!streetcar!collided!with!a!bus!resulting!in!

her!being!impaled!by!a!handrail!and!leaving!her!with!injuries!from!which!she!never!recovered.!!!

Her!boyfriend,!Alejandro,!moved!to!Berlin!after!the!accident,!and!Kahlo!joined!the!Mexican!

Communist!Party!and!the!Young!Communist!League!in!support!of!the!Mexican!Revolution,!

which!began!when!she!was!three!years!old.!!!

While!attending!the!National!Preparatory!School,!Frida!admired!the!work!of!Diego!

Rivera!as!he!painted!The$Creation$(1923)!mural!in!the!school!lecture!hall.!!Perhaps!she!was!

inspired!by!his!work!when!she!started!to!paint!during!her!recovery;!laying!in!bed,!her!body!in!

constant!pain,!and!her!torso!confined!in!a!medical!brace.!!!Under!these!challenging!conditions!

she!completed!a!handful!of!portraits,!including!an!impressive!portrait!of!Alicia!Galant!and!a!selfC

portrait!in!which!she!portrayed!herself!with!a!swan!neck!and!tapered!fingers.!In!1928,!after!

three!years!of!recovery!and!six!years!after!she!first!watched!Diego!Rivera!as!he!worked!on!the!

school!mural,!Kahlo!approached!the!famed!painter!to!ask!for!feedback!on!her!paintings.!!He!

encouraged!her!to!continue!painting,!and!their!courtship!and!tumultuous!relationship!began.!

! Frida!and!Diego!married!in!1929!and!she!soon!became!pregnant.!!After!terminating!her!

first!pregnancy!at!the!end!of!the!first!trimester,!Kahlo!learned!that!as!a!result!of!the!injuries!

incurred!from!the!streetcar!accident!she!may!never!be!able!to!carry!a!child!to!term.!!!Soon!after!

her!recovery!she!travelled!outside!of!Mexico!for!the!first!time!on!a!business!trip!with!Diego!to!

San!Francisco!where!she!painted!Frieda$and$Diego$Rivera$(1931,,

Oil),!which!was!accepted!into!her!first!exhibit!(6th!Annual!

Exhibition!of!the!San!Francisco!Society!of!Women!Artists).!!They!

continued!travelling!and!while!they!were!in!Detroit!Frida!suffered!

another!miscarriage.!!!

!

! While!interned!Frida!escaped!the!

confines!of!her!physical!life!by!painting!!The$

Henry$Ford$Hospital!(1932,!Oil),!a!painful!selfC

portrait!depicting!her!bloody!bedCbound!!and!

severed!body).!

Diego’s!career!kept!them!travelling!and!every!time!Frida!was!in!New!York!City!she!took!

every!opportunity!to!see!the!old!masters!in!person,!but!his!Radio!City!commission!was!rescinded!

when!he!refused!to!remove!a!portrait!of!Lennin!from!the!mural.!!!Diego!and!Frida!moved!back!to!

Mexico!to!design!and!build!their!home!with!separate!living!quarters!connected!only!by!a!bridge.!!!

The!next!year!Frida!had!several!toes!removed!from!one!foot,!experienced!a!third!miscarriage,!

and!separated!from!Deigo!after!his!affair!with!her!younger!sister.!!But!they!reunited!after!her!

affair!with!sculptor!Isiam!Noguchi.!!

!!!!!!!Throughout!all!the!physical!and!emotional!

challenges!Frida!painted!her!personal!story.!!

Signature!paintings!from!this!period!portrayed!

horrific!bed!scenes!such!as;!My$Birth!(1932.Oil)!

followed!by!A$Few$Small$Nips!(1935,!Oil).!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!

!

Early!in!in!their!relationship!Rivera!was!

thrown!out!of!the!Communist!Party,!but!he!and!

Frida!supported!communism!and!the!Mexican!Revolution.!!!Kahlo’s!productivity!increased!when!

she!and!Diego!provided!asylum!for!the!famous!Russian!communist,!Leon!Trotsky!in!Frida’s!

childhood!home.!!Like!SelfKPortrait$Dedicated$to$Leo$Trovsky$(1937),!Kahlo’s!paintings!were!

primarily!small!stillClives!and!portraits!of!herself,!friends!and!family,!yet!many!were!haunting!and!

fused!stunningly!original!elements!of!surrealism,!fantasy!and!folklore!into!powerful!narrative,!

such!as!My$Nurse$and$I!(1937,!Oil)!which!depicts!Kahlo!being!held!in!the!arms!and!feeding!from!

the!breast!of!a!masked!PreCColumbian!nurse!maid.!!Surrealist!poet!Andre!Breton!was!a!great!

admirer!of!Frida’s!work!and!he!stayed!with!the!Rivera’s!while!Trotsky!was!at!Casa!Azul.!!!During!

this!stimulating!period!of!painting,!and!philosophical!and!political!conversation,!Frida!sold!

paintings!for!the!first!time!and!she!marveled!at!the!opportunity!to!earn!her!own!money!.!!!

Diary!entry!(1938),!,“For,me,it,was,such,a,surprise,that,I,marveled,and,said:,

‘This,way,I,am,going,to,be,able,to,be,free,,I’ll,be,able,to,travel,and,do,what,I,

want,without,asking,Diego,for,money.’”,,,,,

(Tuchman,!Phyllis.!"Art!and!Culture,!Frida!Kahlo."!Pg.4),

Financial!Independence!was!the!spark!that!ignited!her!career,!for!soon!after!her!first!

paintings!sold!to!the!American!Actor,!Frida!had!a!oneCperson!show!in!New!York!City!at!the!Julien!

Levy!Gallery.!!Her!ego!stroked!from!the!huge!success,!she!left!New!York!for!Paris!only!to!learn!

that!her!friend!Breton!had!failed!to!arrange!the!promised!show.!!Kahlo!was!not!impressed!by!

Europe!and!especially!not!the!Surrealists.!

As!she!wrote,!“Marcel,Duchamp,,The,only,one,who,has,his,feet,on,the,earth,,among,all,

this,bunch,of,coocoo,lunatic,sons,of,bitches,of,the,Surrealists.”,!!!

(LucieCSmith,!Edward.!Lives,of,the,Great,20thQcentury,Artists)!

!Kahlo’s!time!in!Paris!was!not!financially!

lucrative!but!it!became!a!huge!boost!to!her!career!

when,The$Frame!(1937,!Oil)!was!purchased!by!the!

Louvre!and!she!socialized!with!such!artists!as!Kandinsky!

and!Picasso.,,

After!6!months!in!Europe!Kahlo!returned!home!

to!find!Rivera!in!another!relationship!with!another!

woman,!so!she!moved!into!her!family!home,!Casa!Azul,!

and!painted.!!She!longed!for!financial!freedom!so!she!painting!intensely,!but!she!was!also!

drinking!significantly.!!!By!the!end!of!the!year!she!and!Diego!divorced.!!!Driven!to!be!

independent!while!simultaneously!anguished!by!their!separation,!Frida!began!creating!a!prolific!

quantity!of!distinctive!paintings,!beginning!most!

notably!with!Two$Fridas!(1939,!Oil);!one!Frida!with!her!

heart!cut!open,!while!the!other’!holds!a!tiny!image!of!!

Diego!between!her!visibly!spread!legs.!!

!

!!!!

$

$$$$$Self$Portrait$with$Cropped$Hair$(1940,,Oil),

$

$$$Broken$Column,,

,,,,,,,,,,,,(1944,,Oil),

!

As!a!spirited!woman!trapped!in!her!bed!and!born!to!a!German!father!and!Mexican!

mother,!Kahlo’s!portraits!often!addressed!the!issues!of!duality;!such!as!looking!whole!on!the!

outside!while!being!broken!on!the!inside,!being!a!bisexual!woman!who!dressed!in!men’s!clothes,!

and!having!affairs!while!being!a!devoted!wife.!!!Frida’s!life!was!complex!and!full!of!passion,!and!

she!was!especially!passionate!about!her!art.!In!the!midC1940’s!she!shared!her!perspective!on!

painting!with!a!group!of!students!(Los!Fridos)!who!studied!from!her.!!

,

“To,paint,is,the,most,terrific,thing,that,there,is,,but,to,do,it,well,is,very,difficult.,,

It,is,necessary...,to,learn,the,skill,very,well,,to,have,very,strict,selfQdiscipline,and,

above,all,to,have,love,,to,feel,a,great,love,for,painting.”,,(Tuchman,!Phyllis.!"Art!

and!Culture,!Frida!Kahlo."!Pg.5),

,During!the!final!years!of!her!life!Kahlo!underwent!multiple!surgeries!and!her!right!leg!

was!amputated!below!the!knee.!!By!this!time!she!was!addicted!to!painkillers!and!had!doubled!

her!alcohol!intake,!side!effects!from!trying!to!mediate!her!extreme!physical!pain.!!Yet!she!

continued!to!produce!art!and!in!1953!was!finally!awarded!a!solo!show!in!Mexico!City.!!Still!

moving!forward!in!the!spirit!her!father!taught!her!after!having!polio,!she!was!determined!to!

attend!the!opening!and!arrived!by!ambulance.!!Dressed!in!her!traditional!style!of!Kahlo!costume!

she!was!carried!to!her!decorated!canopied!bed!in!the!middle!of!the!gallery!where!she!staged!a!

theatrical!production!and!held!court,!laughing!and!joining!attendees!in!singing!traditional!

ballads.!!Shortly!after!this!event!Frida!Kahlo!died!of!a!drug!overdose,!whether!it!was!accidental!

or!intentional!is!unknown.!

!!!!!!!!!Art!historians!categorize!Frida!Kahlo!as!

a!Surrealist,!and!for!good!reason!since!her!

images!are!dreamClike!to!others.!!But!Kahlo!

was!painting!what!she!knew;!a!life!lived!in!a!

painCridden!body,!and!in!a!highCprofile!and!

dramatic!relationship!during!a!time!of!

political!unrest.!!!Incorporating!Mexican!folklore!as!the!foundation!for!her!pictoral!allegories,!

Kahlo!painted!her!highly!personal!perspective!on!obsessive!love,!extreme!physical!pain,!

surgeries,!miscarriages!and!subject!matter!unique!to!the!female!experience,!and!yet!Kahlo’s!

work!expands!to!a!larger!audience.!I!think!Janet!Landay,!curator!of!exhibitions!at!the!Museum!of!

Fine!Arts,!Houston!said!it!well,!!

!

!

!

“Kahlo!made!personal!women’s!experiences!serious!subjects!for!art,!but!

because!of!their!intense!emotional!content,!her!paintings!transcend!gender!

boundaries.!Intimate!and!powerful,!they!demand!that!viewers—men!and!

women—be!moved!by!them.”!(1993)!!(Tuchman,!Phyllis.!"Art!and!Culture,!Frida!

Kahlo"!Pg.1)!

!

!

Charly!Swing!!

Last!year!I!saw!a!few!of!Frida!Kahlo’s!pieces!at!the!Los!Angeles!County!Museum!of!Art!

exhibit:!In,Wonderland,,A,Surrealist,Adventure,of,Women,Artists.!!I!found!the!pieces!to!be!

surprisingly!intimate,!tender!and!honest.!!!

Frida!Kahlo!and!Kathe!Kollwitz!addressed!universal!emotions!in!allegorical!settings.!!

They!both!produced!work!from!trauma!in!their!lives,!sought!a!more!equitable!and!just!society!

during!political!unrest,!broke!through!the!glass!ceiling!of!their!day!and!paved!the!path!for!future!

women!artists.!!And!both!felt!and!expressed!personal!grief!from!the!loss!of!children!and/or!

lovedCones.!!But!I!never!connected!with!Frida!Kahlo’s!work!until!I!saw!it!in!person,!while!I!adore!

everything!I’ve!seen!by!Kathe!Kollwitz.!!My!admiration!for!Kollwitz!is!largely!due!to!her!

aesthetics,!but!also!because!she!strove!to!create!work!which!was!accessible!to!the!common!

person,!while!Frida!expressed!her!feelings!through!symbolism!and!intellect.!!!The!pain!emanates!

from!Kollwitz’!excellently!executed!images,!while!Kahlo!pulls!you!into!her!seemingly!naïve!and!

deeply!dark!world!of!folklore!and!allegory.!!

!

Kalho!and!Kallwitz!used!their!personal!traumas!as!a!source!of!inspiration.!Influenced!by!

communist!ideals,!both!women!art!as!a!means!for!change.!!Kahlo!sought!financial!independence!

while!Kollwitz!fought!for!women’s!equality,!peace,!social!justice,!and!the!victims!of!war.!!!Both!

artists!used!figurative!images!to!address!women’s!experiences!as!subject,!which!is!my!intent!in!

making!art.!!There!is!a!beauty!in!the!simplicity!and!power!of!Kollwitz’!work!which!is!quite!pure!

and!holds!the!viewers’!attention!without!trickery!of!any!kind.!!I!also!resonate!with!Kathe!

Kollwitz’!view!of!herself!as!a!humanist.!!Like!her,!I!come!from!a!humanist!commitment!and!a!

sense!of!duty!to!fight!against!an!unjust!world!through!art.!!!!

Rape,!prostitution,!unwanted!motherhood,!unequal!pay,!unequal!opportunity,!child!

slavery,!molestation,!physical!and!emotional!abuse,!abduction,!human!trafficking,!molestation;!

these!are!all!unjust!issues!which!continue!to!burden!women!and!drag!humanity!down.!!I!intend!

to!be!an!active!participant!in!creating!a!just!society.!!Like!Kollwitz!and!Kahlo!I!will!master!my!

technique!through!discipline!and!love,!so!the!message!is!powerful!and!effective.!!Like!Kollwitz,!I!

will!observe!the!people!whose!stories!will!be!told,!but!I!also!intend!to!hear!their!stories!and!

involve!women!in!the!creative!process!whenever!possible.!Transforming!society!together,!one!

woman!or!one!group!of!women!at!a!time,!I!hope!to!ride!on!the!wave!of!the!feminist!revolution,!

empower!women!through!art,!and!create!social!evolution.!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

Kathe!Kollwitz!Bibliography:!

!!"10!Events!That!Led!to!World!War!I."!History,Lists.!N.p.,!n.d.!Web.!03!Dec.!2013.!

!

!"Berlin:!The!City!as!Body!The!City!as!Metaphor."!Berlin:,The,City,as,Body,The,City,as,

Metaphor.!Stanford.edu,!n.d.!Web.!03!Dec.!2013.!

<http://www.stanford.edu/dept/german/berlin_class/people/kollwitz.html>.!

!

!"Biography."!Käthe,Kollwitz,Museum,Köln.!Käthe!Kollwitz!Museum!Köln,!n.d.!Web.!03!

Dec.!2013.!<http://www.kollwitz.de/en/lebenslauf.aspx>.!

!

"The!Collection!/!Kathe!Kollwitz."!MoMA.org.!N.p.,!n.d.!Web.!05!Dec.!2013.!

!

!"Gerhart!Hauptmann!(German!Writer)."!Encyclopedia,Britannica,Online.!Encyclopedia!

Britannica,!n.d.!Web.!03!Dec.!2013.!

!

!"Kathe!Kollwitz!C!Biography."!Kathe,Kollwitz,Q,Biography.!Ro!Gallery,!n.d.!Web.!03!Dec.!

2013.!<http://www.rogallery.com/Kollwitz/KollwitzCbio.htm>.!

!

"Käthe!Kollwitz."!Second,World,War,,Art.!Spartacus!Educational,!n.d.!Web.!08!Dec.!2013.!

<http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ARTkollwitz.htm>.!

!

Prelinger,!Elizabeth,!and!Alessandra!Comini.!Käthe,Kollwitz.!Washington:!National!

Gallery!of!Art,!1992.!Print.!Pages!71C82!

!

"Remembrance!Day;!The!Memorial!at!Vladslo."!Shrine,of,Dreams.!Mike!Culpepper,!n.d.!

Web.!03!Dec.!2013.!

!

Roggenkamp,!Shawn.!"Käthe!Kollwitz's!In!Memoriam!Karl!Liebknecht."!Smarthistory,,

Kathe,Kollwitz.!Kahn!Academy,!n.d.!Web.!08!Dec.!2013.!

<http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/ketheCkollwitzsCinCmemoriamCkarlC

liebknecht.html?searched=kollwitz>.!

!

!

!

Frida!Kahlo!Bibliography:!

!PBS:,Life,and,Times,of,Frida,Kahlo,,Timeline.!PBS,!n.d.!Web.!06!Dec.!2013.!

<http://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/life/timeline_1950.html>.!

!!"Frida!Kahlo."!Philadelphia,Museum,of,Art,Q,Exhibitions,Q,Frida,Kahlo.!N.p.,!n.d.!Web.!06!

Dec.!2013.!http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/278.html.!

!

"Frida!Kahlo!Biography."!Frida,Kahlo,Foundation.!N.p.,!n.d.!Web.!04!Dec.!2013.!

<http://www.fridaCkahloCfoundation.org/biography.html>.!

!

Harris,!Beth,!Phd,!and!Steven!Zucker,!Phd.!"Frida!Kahlo's!Frieda!and!Diego!Rivera."!

Smart,History.!Kahn!Academy,!n.d.!Web.!08!Dec.!2013.!

<http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/fridaCkahloCfriedaCandCdiegoCrivera.html>.!

!

LucieCSmith,!Edward.!Lives,of,the,Great,20thQcentury,Artists.!New!York:!Thames!and!

Hudson,!1999.!The,Artchive.!Web.!<http://www.artchive.com/artchive/K/kahlo.html>.!

!

Tuchman,!Phyllis.!"Art!and!Culture,!Frida!Kahlo."!Smithsonian,Magazine.!N.p.,!n.d.!Web.!

06!Dec.!2013.!<http://www.smithsonianmag.com/artsCculture/frida.html?c=y>.!

!!

Charly!Swing!

! www.CharlySwing.com!

!