A Reissued Book Reveals Hundreds of Photos from Frida Kahlo’s Personal Collection

Art
History
Photography

#art history
#black and white
#books
#Frida Kahlo

A Reissued Book Reveals Hundreds of Photos from Frida Kahlo’s Personal Collection

December 16, 2023

Grace Ebert

Adolfo Best Maugard, María Luisa Cabrera de Block, and Frida Kahlo, (1945). All images © 2010 Banco de México in its capacity as Trustee in the Trust relating to the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Museums, courtesy of RM Publishing, shared with permission

In her short lifetime, Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) collected an incredibly vast archive of photographs. Her father, Guillermo Kahlo, had been one of Mexico’s most well-known photographers, documenting architecture, industry, and himself, and his legacy certainly influenced the artist’s enduring interest in self-portraiture and image-making.

While Frida fostered a prodigious artistic practice of her own, she also amassed more than 6,000 photos taken by friends, family, colleagues, and sometimes, herself. Within her trove are snapshots of Mexico and her life, particularly moments shared with her husband, the artist Diego Rivera. Compiled in a recently reissued book, the collection offers unparalleled insight into the influential couple’s life and work.

Frida Kahlo: Her Photos was originally published by Editorial RM in 2010 and out of print until its re-release in October. Containing annotations and notes, the tome features hundreds of black-and-white images that, before 2004, had been hidden in storage in the artist’s Mexico City home. This edition once again offers audiences the opportunity to better understand the bonds, preferences, and daily minutiae of two of the most important artists of the 20th century.

Spanish and English versions of Frida Kahlo: Her Photos are available on Bookshop.

Frida painting the portrait of her father Guillermo Kahlo (1951). Photo by Giséle Freud

Revolutionaries

Diego Rivera with his models, Nieves Orozco and Inesita

Diego Rivera (1933). Photo by Esther Born

#art history
#black and white
#books
#Frida Kahlo

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