AOW 10

'The Dream'

Frida Kahlo



Frida Kahlo was an internationally popular Mexican painter. She painted using vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by indigenous cultures of Mexico and European influences including realism, symbolism, and surrealism. Many of her works are self-portraits that symbolically articulate her own pain and sexuality.

            Due to the effects of polio and a tragic car accident, Kahlo was always in pain and spent a lot of time dwelling on death. In this painting, its eminent presence follows her into her dreams. The audience, anyone that likes paintings, can clearly see that she is in her dream state as the bed is floating in the clouds and some form of vegetation is growing on her blanket. Based on communal knowledge, we know that the cylindrical devices on the skeleton are explosives, making it clear that the painter believes death can occur at any moment, sparked by even the smallest thing. Although her purpose may be to convey this message and fear of death, based on my knowledge of Kahlo I believe it is just her way of recording her own fears. In this way, I am sure she did serve her purpose, simultaneously giving us a window into what she was going through. The surreal nature of the painting is reflected in a great number of her works, making me think that is her personal style rather than a device solely chosen for this particular piece. However, there are several rhetorical elements that make this painting so interesting and forceful.

Symbolism:  Being a surreal painting of a dream, symbolism plays a huge role in the message Kahlo is trying to send. It is seen in the vine/tree that is growing across her blanket, and the meaning of the skeletal being atop her bed.

Placement: In the middle of clouds, the bed and the figure above it form the central focus. One cannot pass by the picture without noticing its presence. Larger than life, it dwarfs the figure within the bed and grins out of the frame. Just as it attracts the viewers’ attention, it filled her thoughts and dreams as well.

Contrast: The idea of death, covered in explosive devices, contrasts greatly with the image of the sleeping figure in her peaceful dream. However, a recurring element is that he is holding cut flowers, and she is draped in plants that have been uprooted.