Frida Khalo – One of the most prominent figures during the Mexican Revolution, is known for her unapologetic and vividly colored self-portraits, which explore one’s self, body, and mortality.
Attention all the history and art lovers! Mexico is a land of culture and tradition, and if you don’t visit the Frida Khalo Museum at least once, then visiting Mexico is futile. Her museum is located at her birth house itself, and you must make sure to take your Mexico car insurance before you travel.
A short introduction of Frida Khalo
As you already know, Frida Khalo was a Mexican painter, famous for her self-portraits. Even though she tried to deny it, most people associated her with a surrealist. Did you know she used to claim her birth year was 1910, three years later than her original birth date of 1907, just so that she could directly associate her birth with the Mexican revolution?
She was successful in that, as most people identify her with the Mexican Revolution present, and she is a symbol of the Mexican indigenous culture. In the 1970s, Mexico saw the emergence of the Neomexicanismo Art Movement featuring Frida Khalo as a key character. You can see her portrait on the 500 pesos Mexican bill on one side, and her husband Diego Rivera’s on the other.
She started painting after her fatal accident and became renowned for self-portraits. Her most famous painting is the Self-Portrait with the Thorn Necklace and the Hummingbird. She was close to many prominent figures during her lifetime, like Leon Trotsky himself.
Experience the Frida Khalo museum
After Frida had passed away, Diego Rivera had her birthplace La Casa Azul transformed into a museum to honor her life. The authorities gave the public access to it in 1958, a year after her death. Imagine walking through the rooms, where she once lived and painted!
You won’t find much of her artwork, but the couple’s collection is massive and exotic. You will also find pictures, mementos, Hispanic antiques, and other personal objects arguably more intriguing than the artwork. You get to peek into Khalo’s personal life here. It’s easy to picture the rooms as they were when Khalo lived here, as the authorities have meticulously preserved and maintained the house.
The kitchen still has enormous cazuelas for cooking. You will a note containing Khalo’s mole sauce recipe posted on the wall. You can get an idea about her hardships from the assortment of clothing and corsets that she needed to support her body after the catastrophic injury she had.
The route around the house is simple and there are plenty of monkey-shaped guides for the children to help them with the surroundings.
Conclusion
The cobalt-blue Frida Khalo museum is a very popular attraction in Mexico City. You should visit it during the weekdays to avoid the large crowds, and walk through the old house peacefully. The line at the ticket station is always long, so it is wiser to get the tickets beforehand. Just get your Mexico car insurance for San Bernardino before traveling.