Kahlo and Rivera part 2

A portrait of Frida Kahlo at Diego Rivera’s house in San Angel, Mexico city.

Study in yellow, Diego’s house. Sculpture by Alberto de la Vega, 1966. Hmm. Rivera died in 1957, so what is that doing there?

Portrait of Dolores Olmedo by Diego Rivera. 1955. Dolores Olmedo (1908-2002) was a Mexican entrepreneur and patron of the arts. She founded one of the largest construction companies in Mexico. A long time friend of Frida and Diego, she held one of the largest collection of their work. Her old colonial house is now the Dolores Olmedo museum. The dress she wears is the typical costume of the women of Tehuantepec, called Tehuanas. A very popular dress in the 40’s and 50’s among artists and intellectuals in Mexico. Frida often dressed so.

Study in blue. Diego Rivera’s house. Architect: Juan O’Gorman.

Study in mauve? Jacaranda at Diego Rivera’s house. Jacaranda’s here bloom in February-March. In South Africa and East Africa it happens in the Fall. Weird. Why the doubt about “mauve”? I’m slightly colour blind. Some “subtleties” of colour escape me. I can’t really tell that “mauve” from a “blue”. I just call it “mauve” because I’ve been “told” jacarandas are mauve. 😉

Portrait of Eva Frederick, by Frida Kahlo, c.1931. Frederick was a New York friend of both Frida and Diego. Couldn’t find out who she was.

Rivera’s workshop, San Angel.

Juan Leonardo Cordero, 1932. This is a replica of the original, Aztec-inspired based relief at the YWCA, Mexico city. Why is it at Rivera’s house? Don’t know. Captions could be improved I guess? Or maybe we should have rented the audio-guide? Hate those things.

Juan O’Gorman (1905-1982) was the architect of Diego Rivera’s house in 1932. Read somewhere he’d been influenced by Le Corbusier. Figures. He also decorated the entire “façade” of the library of the UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico). The things you learn doing research! Now I have to look for a picture… wait a sec. There!

UNAM Library, mosaic by Juan O’Gorman. Celebrating science. See ‘Ptolomeo’ and ‘Copernico’. 1950-1956. An impressive work of detail.

Juan O’Gorman. “Entre filosofía y ciencia”. (Between philosophy and science) Mid 30’s? At Diego Rivera’s house. This painting’s location is any – would-be – photographer’s nightmare. Too much light from a window above right. Small room. No space to take a good single shot. Just lift your “camera” (Iphone really) as high as you can, hope for the best and Photoshop.

The Spanish text says: “In antiquity, philosophy and science were the same thing. Today, philosophy only serves to disguise the unknown as truth. Science is the only way to know reality in all orders of human activity…” Food for thought. Thank you, Juan.

Back to Diego Rivera. c.1939. The nude behind is a model called Maudelle Bass.

“Mother Earth”, by Rivera, 1926. Dedicated to Manuel Mesa? Model would be Lupe (Guadalupe) Marín.

Chinelos, by Renate Reichert, Bremerhaven, 1939. (Dolores Olmedo museum) Reichert lived over 20 years in Mexico city and did a series or works inspired by the work of Frida. Chinelos still exist and dance in the street near our house:

Chinelos wearing their traditional costume and masks. Two blocks away from our house. Tlalpan, Mexico city. c. 2018

“Frida mi vida, cielito lindo.” “Frida, my life (a local term of endearment), pretty sky (a traditional Mexican song)”. Renate Reichert again, in an allusion to a double self-portrait Frida painted in 1939:

Frida at Dolores Olmedo museum.

Russian nurse, Diego Rivera, 1956. Frida had died on July 1954. Rivera went to the USSR c. 1956 for medical treatment. Hence the Russian nurse I guess. (Dolores Olmedo museum). He returned to Mexico and died in 1957.

“Sun and life”, by Frida Kahlo, 1947. Dolores Olmedo museum. Frida Kahlo’ work is very diverse. I personally prefer this kind of work to her more well-known “bleeding-heart” style. It seems to me those latter works “trap” Frida in a long life of bed-ridden suffering, when in fact she was a very active woman. (The virtues  of research).

Magdalena Frida Carmen Kahlo Calderón. (Olmedo Museum)

Thank you as usual for visiting Equinoxio’s virtual art museum. Stay safe. (It ain’t over) 🙏🏻😷