Frida Kahlo at Home

Description

La Casa Azul, now one of the most visited museums in Mexico City, was the artist's birthplace and the home where she grew up, lived with her husband Diego Rivera for a number of years, and also where she died, in a room on the upper floor. She spent long periods of time in the house convalescing, first in 1918 when she contracted polio and again, at the age of 18, after the trolley accident which left her badly injured. Confined to her bed in casts and orthopedic devices and in constant pain and discomfort, she began to paint as a way to occupy her time. After marrying Rivera, Frida moved out of the Blue House, living in Mexico and abroad, moving for a brief time to the United States, until eventually returning to her childhood home. Fully illustrated, the book features Frida's paintings together with archive images and family photographs, objects and artefacts she collected and photographs of the surrounding landscape to provide an insight into how these places shaped this much-loved artist and how the homes and landscapes of her life relate to her work.

Suzanne Barbezat is a travel writer based in Oaxaca, Mexico. She has worked as a teacher, tour guide, and writer and holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from McGill University, Montreal.

"Kahlo's family home is now a museum of her work and life. If you can't make the journey, this will give you some insights into the woman as well as the artist." * i (The Independent) *