Frida Kahlo "Self-portrait with Monkeys" (1943), oil on canvas
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Frida Kahlo is a Mexican artist known for her bizarre self portraits. Her 1943 artwork entitled “Self Portrait with Monkeys” is no different. The oil painting depicts Kahlo with her familiar thick unibrow and intriguing expression. The artwork shows Frida amidst a rainforest-like background with four monkeys close beside her. Some critics note that these monkeys may represent the children Kahlo could not have in real life. The monkeys are shown with uncharacteristic lines and shapes for their lengthy arms apparent in the two monkeys clinging to Frida. Also, the monkeys are painted with a dark color contrasting the bright and colorful background.
The leaves in the painting provide a perfect backdrop for Kahlo’s self portrait. The vibrant greens, yellows, oranges, and hues of red grab the viewers attention. Once this attention is captured the audience is then drawn to the duller, softer colors of the Kahlo and the monkeys. Not only does the background contrast the foreground through color, but also through line. In the background, the many leaves are separated with wavy and haphazard lines. On the other hand, the foreground has one main subject and pops out from the patchwork leaves.
Although the viewer is attracted to “Self Portrait with Monkeys” for the vibrant colors in the background, the main focus is towards Frida herself. Frida Kahlo is known for depicting herself in many of her paintings. In “Self Portrait with Monkeys” Frida seems to be sitting in a rainforest in the company of four monkeys. By looking at Kahlo’s face, the viewer can see Frida with her hair tied back, connected eyebrows, and a faint moustache forming on her upper lip. She stares directly at her audience and the positions of Kahlo and her monkeys are similar to that of a family portrait. In this family portrait, the two monkeys clinging to Frida Kahlo both have their hands on Kahlo’s chest. Their tails are wrapped around Frida’s arms and their arm’s around her neck. This arrangement may represent how Frida is protective of the monkeys or how they are close to her heart. Frida Kahlo’s 1943 “Self Portrait with Monkeys” depicts Kahlo amongst a bright forest background with four monkeys, which are representative of the family she could not have in real life.
The leaves in the painting provide a perfect backdrop for Kahlo’s self portrait. The vibrant greens, yellows, oranges, and hues of red grab the viewers attention. Once this attention is captured the audience is then drawn to the duller, softer colors of the Kahlo and the monkeys. Not only does the background contrast the foreground through color, but also through line. In the background, the many leaves are separated with wavy and haphazard lines. On the other hand, the foreground has one main subject and pops out from the patchwork leaves.
Although the viewer is attracted to “Self Portrait with Monkeys” for the vibrant colors in the background, the main focus is towards Frida herself. Frida Kahlo is known for depicting herself in many of her paintings. In “Self Portrait with Monkeys” Frida seems to be sitting in a rainforest in the company of four monkeys. By looking at Kahlo’s face, the viewer can see Frida with her hair tied back, connected eyebrows, and a faint moustache forming on her upper lip. She stares directly at her audience and the positions of Kahlo and her monkeys are similar to that of a family portrait. In this family portrait, the two monkeys clinging to Frida Kahlo both have their hands on Kahlo’s chest. Their tails are wrapped around Frida’s arms and their arm’s around her neck. This arrangement may represent how Frida is protective of the monkeys or how they are close to her heart. Frida Kahlo’s 1943 “Self Portrait with Monkeys” depicts Kahlo amongst a bright forest background with four monkeys, which are representative of the family she could not have in real life.
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