Product Description

This beautifully-illustrated and engrossing biography of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo reveals a woman of extreme magnetism and originality and an artist whose sensual vibrancy came straight from her own experiences. Born and brought up near Mexico City during the Mexican Revolution, she suffered a devastating accident aged eighteen, which left her crippled and unable to bear children. Her marriage to the muralist Diego Riviera was tempestuous, and she had many love affairs with men as diverse as Isamu Noguchi and Leon Trotsky. Absorbed in Mexican folklore and culture and a lover of dramatic spectacle, Kahlo's tumultuous life is that of an extraordinary twentieth-century woman.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70343 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Time Magazine
"A mesmerising story of radical art, romantic politics, bizarre loves and physical suffering"

Independent
"Hayden Herrera has succeeded admirably in cutting though the myths to offer a plausible likeness of this wretched glorious woman."

Observer
"‘Frida’ will hold its place as the first comprehensive biography of this most visceral of artists"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful biography, larger-than-life subject
It must be difficult to write a biography of a myth, and that's what Frida Kahlo is, a larger-than-life figure who really was a legend in her own lifetime. It's all here-her childhood, her school life and friendships, the terrible accident, her politics, her complex relationship with Diego Rivera,her relationships with other men and with women and, yes, the paintings. Some of which are reproduced here in colour.The author is clearly an admirer of Kahlo but never falls into the hagiographic trap. An intelligently-written and passionately-felt biography. If you know Kahlo's paintings, this book will enhance your appreciation of them. If you don't know them, your curiosity will be aroused.

I love this book. And am going to recommend it to various friends.

Mexico's first lady of art sparkles with great technicolor!
This biography on the life of the great Mexican female artist Frida Kahlo is good. I appreciate a good painting but Herrera like a good writer so vividly brings the life of Ms Kahlo across to the reader so much so that after reading it I was struck by the beauty of the violent images in her paintings.
Frida Kahlo is Mexico! Her life is so remarkable and you are so intrigued by her in this book her turbulent life, the horrific teenage accident that was the catalyst for her becoming a painter, her stormy and passionate marriage to Diego Rivera, the inspirations for her paintings, her battle with health and her affairs with both men and women combine beautifully to create a biography that is so memorable. Out of all the biographies I've read on female celebrities this has to be one of my favourite ones of all time.Haydon Herrera had me mesmerised from the moment I turned the first page of this biography.Frida Kahlo too is one of my favourite artists now if I had a list of famous people I would invite to a dinner party I hosted Frida Kahlo would be a welcome guest at my table.

Frida Kahlo - an engaging study of Mexico's premier artist.
Hayden Herrera 's biography on Frida Kahlo is excellent. The author provides a perfect insight into the world of Frida Kahlo. I was never into abstract paintings certainly those of a violent nature such as hers until I read this biography. The pictures of Kahlo's masterpieces are very well set out in this book and provide a colourful accompaniment to the story of her turbulent life and it's up and downs. The story of her life, her stormy marriage to Diego Rivera and the development of modern day Mexico all combine wonderfully in this biography about one of Mexico's famous sisters. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the magic of Mexico and this story will certainly awaken the minds of anyone who necessarily isn't keen on art but who will walk away with an idea of the great contribution that Frida Kahlo made to the art world.