Art Featured

An Inside Look at Frida Kahlo’s Home, La Casa Azul in Mexico City: A Guide to Her Art, Struggles and Resilience

Written by:

Evan La Ruffa

Mar 20, 2023

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.

An Overview of Frida Kahlo’s Life and 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.

Her Artistic Style and Techniques

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.

Her Struggles and Resilience

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.

Exploring La Casa Azul: A Look at Frida Kahlo’s Home and Studio

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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Description of La Casa Azul

La Casa Azul (The Blue House) gets its name from the blue-painted walls that surround the property. The house was originally built in 1904 and was designed by Frida Kahlo’s father, Guillermo Kahlo.

The property consists of two buildings: the main house and a studio where Frida Kahlo worked on her paintings. In total, there are nine rooms that are open to the public: Frida Kahlo’s bedroom, Diego Rivera’s study, the couple’s joint bedroom, Frida Kahlo’s bathroom, the kitchen, Rivera’s studio, an art gallery, and two courtyards.

Artworks and Artifacts in La Casa Azul

When you tour Frida Kahlo’s home, you will see many original works of art and artifacts that belonged to her and Diego Rivera. These include paintings by both artists, as well as photographs, personal belongings, and furniture.

As you walk through, you can’t help but feel as though you are meeting Frida herself through the vast collection of artifacts, photos, and artwork.

One of the most famous paintings on display is Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait with thorn necklace and hummingbird (1940). This painting is significant because it shows how Kahlo incorporated elements of Mexican culture into her work.

Another notable painting is Diego Rivera’s Portrait of Lupe Marin (1931), which hangs in Frida Kahlo’s bedroom.”

And lastly, one cannot go without revering the ‘Death Mask’ which lays perched on Frida’s bed in her absence. In the days leading up to her death, Frida had this mask of her face made, at once making her corporal existence permanent, a crumb left on the trail for those of us who dream of being as intensely creative to the end.

Understanding the Cultural Significance of Frida Kahlo’s Art and Legacy

Frida Kahlo’s art is significant not only because of her innovative techniques and style, but also because of the way her work reflected her personal life and identity. Kahlo often used her art as a form of self-expression, creating paintings that depicted the struggles she faced in her life, including her battle with polio, her many surgeries, and her tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera. As a result, Kahlo’s art provides a rare and intimate look into the artist’s inner thoughts and feelings.

Kahlo’s art also had a profound impact on Mexican culture. In the early 20th century, Mexico was undergoing a period of great change, as it transitioned from a colony of Spain to an independent nation. This transition was marked by political turmoil and violence, as rival factions fought for control of the government. In this chaotic environment, Kahlo’s art provided a much-needed sense of stability and continuity. Her paintings celebrated Mexican culture and history, while also offering a new vision for the future.

Kahlo’s legacy continues to be felt today. In 2007, she was named one of the “100 Most influential People in the World” by Time magazine. Her work has been featured in major exhibitions around the world, and her face is now recognizable to people all over the globe. The popularity of Kahlo’s art speaks to our need for connection and understanding in times of upheaval and change.

Run, don’t walk, to see La Casa Azul for yourself.