
Few artists are as celebrated – and controversial – as Frida Kahlo. Born in Mexico in 1907, Kahlo was a self-portrait artist who depicted her own physical and psychological struggles with stunning honesty. Her art is both beautiful and disturbing, offering a rare glimpse into the mind of a complex woman.
Kahlo’s home, La Casa Azul (The Blue House), is now a museum dedicated to her life and work. Located in the bohemian neighborhood of Coyoacán in Mexico City, La Casa Azul is filled with Kahlo’s paintings, personal belongings, and mementos from her life.
A visit to La Casa Azul is an opportunity to learn more about Kahlo’s art, her struggles, and her enduring legacy. In this blog post, we’ll explore Kahlo’s life and work, take a look inside her home, and consider the cultural significance of her art.
Frida Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907 in Coyoacan, Mexico City. Her parents were Matilde Calixta Fernández y González and Guillermo Kahlo. Frida had three sisters: matrona, Margarita, and Cristina. When she was six years old, Frida contracted polio, which left her with a lifelong disability that caused her right leg to be thinner than her left and forced her to wear a metal brace. In 1922, Frida enrolled at the prestigious National Preparatory School (Escuela Nacional Preparatoria), where she met Diego Rivera. The two would later marry.
Frida Kahlo is best known for her self-portraits, which often incorporate elements of Mexican culture, such as colorful folk art and traditional dress. She also frequently included symbolic references to the pain she endured throughout her life, such as injuries sustained in a bus accident and her inability to have children. Kahlo’s use of bright colors and bold patterns reflects the influence of Mexican popular culture on her work.
In addition to physical pain from her polio-related disability and the injuries she sustained in the bus accident, Kahlo also experienced great emotional turmoil throughout her life. She suffered several miscarriages and was estranged from Diego Rivera for several years due to his infidelity. Despite all of these challenges, Kahlo persevered and continued to create art until her death in 1954 at the age of 47.
To visit Frida Kahlo’s home, La Casa Azul, you must first travel to Mexico City. Being there is magical. It is absolutely one of those places that feels energetically charged, as if important things happened there.
The house is located in the neighborhood of Coyoacán, in the southern part of the city. To get there, you can take a taxi or an Uber from anywhere in Mexico City. The trip will take approximately 30 minutes if you’re starting from the common tourist areas like Roma Norte.
Once you arrive in Coyoacán, you will need to walk to Frida Kahlo’s house, as it is not easily accessible by car. The address of the house is Calle Londres 247, Colonia del Carmen, Coyoacán.
When you arrive at the house, you will see a small blue gate that leads into a courtyard. This is the entrance to La Casa Azul.
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