The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait

(Hardback)

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Description

Covering the years 1944-45, the 170-page journal contains Frida's thoughts, poems, and dreams, and reflects her stormy relationship with her husband, Diego Rivera, Mexico's famous artist. The seventy watercolour illustrations in the journal - some lively sketches, several elegant self-portraits, others complete paintings - offer insights into her creative process, and show her frequently using the journal to work out pictorial ideas for her canvases. The text entries, written in Frida's round, full script in brightly coloured inks, add an almost decorative quality, making the journal as captivating to look at as it is to read. Frida's childhood, her political sensibilities, and her obsession with Diego are all illuminated in witty phrases and haunting images. Although much has been written recently about this extraordinary woman, Frida Kahlo's art and life continue to fascinate the world. This personal document, published in a complete full-colour facsimile edition, will add greatly to the understanding of her unique and powerful vision and her enormous courage in the face of more than thirty-five operations to correct injuries she had sustained in an accident at the age of eighteen. The facsimile is accompanied by an introduction by the world-renowned Mexican man of letters Carlos Fuentes and a complete translation of the diary's text. An essay on the place of the diary in Frida's work and in art history at large, as well as commentaries on the images, is provided by Sarah M. Lowe.

Reviews

"The reproduction of Frida Kahlo's diary ... is a very special publishing event .... This replica is a beautiful fabrication, authentic in its details and faithful to the original....Her diary is a gorgeous phoenix: it adds to the luster of her posthumous life as an artist."

Author Bio

The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is now regarded as one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century.Carlos Fuentes is celebrated internationally as one of the worlds foremost literary figures. He has written numerous essays, articles, and novels. He has also served as Mexicos ambassador to France and has held other diplomatic and academic posts. Sarah M. Lowe is the author of Frida Kahlo, an analytical study of her paintings, and coauthor of Consuelo Kanaga: An American Photographer. Her monograph on the photographs of Tina Modotti is also published by Abrams.