Frida Kahlo: The Paintings by Hayden Herrera

Frida Kahlo: The Paintings Reviews

• 
  Steven Godin

  I've always been sceptical about reading books featuring art/paintings, as with some you don't get much in the way of explanatory text to accompany the works of art. This book suffers no such problem, thankfully, and all in all, I found it simply amazing. This is about as comprehensive a book will will ever see on the work of Frida Kahlo. It was so detailed, with so many interesting facts about Kahlo that I previously didn't know. Herrera does a great job of analysing her work deeply, and goes through some the most important personal moments of her life, so the book doubles up as a bio as well. Kahlo expressed all her feelings and emotions through art, and this book is crammed full of many beautiful illustrations, including her more famous and brightly coloured self portraits, to smaller sketches and drawings.
  No hesitation at all in scoring this a five.
• 
  T

  This book blew me away. I implore each and every one of you to read it ❤️
• 
  Kristina

  2020 Review
  New star rating: 2.5 for text, 5 for paintings and photographs
  
  Frida Kahlo: The Paintings by Hayden Herrera is considered a companion volume to her Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo. The Paintings contains a summarized version of the text from the biography, but is accompanied by larger reproductions of Kahlo’s paintings, other drawings and photographs. If you’ve read the biography, the only reason to buy (or read) this book is to examine the paintings in more detail.
  
  Herrera includes most of Kahlo’s well-known paintings and many of her lesser known ones. The larger color reproductions allow you to see the details of the paintings more clearly. I also liked looking at the photographs; Kahlo was an incredibly photogenic woman. Not necessarily beautiful, but her gaze is very intense and she is compelling subject. What’s objectionable about the book is Herrera’s analysis of the paintings. In almost every painting or illustration, she defines them as visual representations of Kahlo’s emotional and/or physical pain. Herrera goes too far in claiming to know what Kahlo was thinking or feeling by ascribing every brush stroke as a way for Kahlo to express her pain. Herrera does not take into account Kahlo’s political motivations/interests or her Mexican background (i.e. the history and politics of Mexico). In fact, Herrera states, “Until 1954 Frida had painted only one quasi-political painting” (215). I find this an odd statement. Based on Herrera’s own biography, she considers My Dress Hangs There and Self-Portrait on the Border Line Between Mexico and the United States to have at least some political expression. Herrera also theorizes that Kahlo was a narcissist who used her illnesses to gain sympathy and tie Diego Riveria (her philandering husband) to her side. Not only did Kahlo use her pain as a way to gain attention, but she also created illness when necessary: “Very likely she sabotaged her well-being by choosing to have unnecessary operations as a peculiar form of narcissism. Having operations was a cry for attention. Being a surgical patient could alleviate her feelings of disconnection…Each new operation brought her admiration and sympathy, and most important, the attention of Diego” (194). Herrera also analyzes almost every painting as having a very distinct and direct connection to Catholicism, a religion that Kahlo rejected as a child.
  
  I don’t care for Herrera’s incredibly simple and limited analysis of Kahlo’s paintings as being narcissist reflections of her own pain. In this book (as opposed to her Frida Kahlo: Biography), Herrera completely disregards and does not explore any other reasons for Kahlo to paint except as a way to express her pain and troubles of being childless (which many other critics disagree with) and having a cheating husband; it’s a very sexist perspective of Kahlo’s body work as it denies Kahlo’s knowledge of the wider world and her ability to think beyond her own personal troubles. I would suggest that anyone looking to read about Kahlo’s life and her artwork not rely on this book. Herrera’s biography is much more in depth and while I do disagree with her art=artist analysis in that book as well, at least she expands on that and includes more complex analyses. I suggest Devouring Frida: The Art History and Popular Celebrity of Frida Kahlo by Margaret A. Lindauer for a more complex exploration of Kahlo’s paintings. The language can be a little difficult and scholarly, but it’s worth taking the time. I would also suggest Frida in America: The Creative Awakening of a Great Artist by Celia Stahr. The author examines in detail the years Kahlo spent in the United States with Diego Riveria while he completed his mural commissions. I wasn’t crazy about the book, but it does provide a different perspective on Kahlo, particularly the idea that she was devastated by her inability to be a mother (Stahr has convincing evidence that Kahlo had to decide between being either a painter or a mother and landed squarely on the side of being a painter).
  
  Older Review
  Absolutely love her paintings. Was lucky enough to see the Kahlo exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art a few years ago. Amazing experience.
• 
  saïd

  The text accompanying the images is honestly Not That Great, but the scans/photographs are so high-quality, I'd forgive just about anything.
• 
  Robin Tobin (On the back porch reading)

  Painfully raw and beautiful. To capture the depth of of one’s authentic feeling and color vivid the emotions upon canvas is fearlessness at it’s finest...
• 
  Cindy

  Fascinating look at the preeminent artist of Mexico. At first glance her work appears ugly. An in depth look and analysis reveals an astounding work. Shocking and dramatic. No one ever put a woman's pain and suffering to canvas like Frida.
• 
  Kate

  I read this text for a post-graduate course, which is part of an Art History certification program. I was familiar with the major works she created, and the major events in her life, but this text delves deep into the details Frida Kahlo's life. It includes tons of photographs of Frida from her childhood through out her final days, and so many of her paintings. I had no idea she created as many works as she did.
  
  I think what I liked most about this text is how thoroughly the author interprets her paintings. Tons of her works are featured, and many are highlighted and analyzed, both her most famous and some not-so-famous works. The author speaks in detail about what was going on in Frida's life when she created each piece, and speaks of the specific symbolism of each work, from the arrangement of objects, to the colors used, to the objects themselves.
  
  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in learning more about Frida Kahlo's life. It's an easy, but informative read. I didn't find it to be repetitive or boring, in fact it's sparked a drive in me to find out even more about her life and works.
• 
  Terrin Blackmon

  Loved it!! Will definitely read similar works by this artist. It’s an amazing journey into the life of Frida and the symbolism with her works
• 
  Cortney

  Beautiful. Enveloping. Sad. I enjoyed it a lot.
• 
  Amy

  I was utterly transfixed by the haunting, intense art and life of Frida Kahlo rendered in this accessible and beautifully illustrated biography.
• 
  Howard

  I've been reading this book a few pages at a time over the past couple of months, which proved an ideal way to enjoy Herrera's insightful journey through Kahlo's extraordinary art and how central it was to her very existence.
  
  I've been a huge fan of Kahlo since watching the movie Frida for the first time in about 2003, and seeing a superb exhibition of her work at the Tate Modern a couple of years later. The film, based on Herrera's biography published in 1983, brought Kahlo to the world stage, and the Tate show -- the first major exhibition of her art for twenty years or more -- cemented her reputation and prompted a reissue of Frida Kahlo: The Paintings.
  
  There is no greater expert on Kahlo than Herrera, and she does a wonderful job here of chronologically walking the reader through the life, loves, influences, politics and tragic moments of Kahlo's eventful life to provide a context and understanding of her paintings, well over a hundred of which are reproduced in the book.
  
  Everything about Frida Kahlo: The Paintings is splendid. The writing is focussed and penetrating, the reproduction quality is excellent, the layout is highly readable, and the notes, bibliography and index very convenient for the reader. I wish all such books could be as pleasurable and illuminating to read as this tribute to an artist whose life and work were full of originality and magnetism.
• 
  Jean

  This book filled the yearning I had after reading Ms. Herrera's Frida biography, which was for better prints of the artist's work and more of them. I'm actually on my second go round with this book. In addition to the works of which most Frida fans are familiar, I really enjoyed the sketches, studies for and illustrated notes that further flesh out this magnetic, talented and iconic artist. I don't have much experience studying art or being guided by an art historian as to what to look at but this work really expanded my understanding and fostered more interest in Frida Kahlo. A wonderful reference book to have around.
• 
  Tammy Marie Jacintho

  Each time I look at this book, year after year, I feel like I did that first day. I recognize her indomitable spirit—this incredible will, not only to survive but also to look with an unflinching eye. Her art redeems suffering as an ecstatic experience.
  
  And we mentally shake hands. As I turn the pages, I see her leaping over the grave where she refuses to rest.
• 
  Pollopicu

  Read it many years ago but I remember deeply enjoying it. It inspired me to go on a literary Frida bio rampage. I would read it again.
• 
  Susan Liston

  I read this in tandem with Frida: A Biography as it has better and more reproductions and photographs. Reading it alone would still provide a good overview of Frida's life and art.
• 
  Joanne

  I have wanted to learn about Frida Kahlo for some time and this beautiful book was the perfect way to go about that. Filled with her artwork and photographs and accompanied by her biography, commentary, interpretations of her paintings and sketches, this brought it all.
  I was struck by how such amazing art and beauty could come from a woman who experienced such incredible pain, suffering, and horrible physical issues. It started with a tragic accident when she was young and terribly injured and left for dead. Her entire life was a series of surgeries and pain, an amputation, depression, and marital problems. Married to the great Diego Rivera, theirs was a close relationship but filled with passion, drama, and sadness.
  Frida Kahlo used her art to portray her thoughts, feelings, and unhappiness and she was quite unique and brilliant. She claimed not to be a Surrealist, never even knowing what that was initially, but her style is reminiscent of Dali and Picasso, some El Greco and Gaugin as well. She painted what she saw and felt in her mind's eye and it was quite interesting but a lot of it was quite disturbing with gory, graphic images.
• 
  Kesi Augustine

  Beautiful and approachable yet rigorous writing on the life and art of Frida Kahlo. The interpretations of her art are insightful and exciting. I purchased this text at the Brooklyn Museum’s “Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving” exhibit (2019) and I’m grateful I did because Kahlo’s most radical works are on view in this book. I’m inspired to read more biographies on Kahlo now; thank you Herrera for the scholarship on this brilliant woman.
• 
  Flora

  Rich description of Frida's life, and all the dramatic and difficult things she went through. The connection of events to her pieces of art and their analysis was spot on. In particular, her relationship with Diego was really fascinating and more in depth than I had read before. I learned a lot, and it was an added bonus to see so many of her works in full color, though I wish that all the images were full page size, full color.
• 
  Erica

  Indispensable guide to Frida Kahlo's biography and art. While I think Herrera misjudges Kahlo's intentions, especially around gender performance and pregnancy, his research is enlightening and the book is a fascinating read from cover to cover.
• 
  Thena V

  This book dissects the paintings of Frida Kahlo from her very beginning to her end. The author deepened my understanding of her so much that towards the end of the book, I felt the pain and sadness that she was so good at communicating in her art.
• 
  JoyousStrange

  This was the best of the Frida Khalo books I have read. I felt like I got an in-depth insight into who she was as well as more photos with this book than with others.
• 
  Rose the Book Mouse

  A moving biography that unfolds the life and work of Friday Kahlo by deeply examining her art.
• 
  RainyLee

  Brilliant
• 
  Liz

  Loved it so much bought my own copy :)
• 
  翰林院编修

  弗里达
  8.2 (343人评价) [美]海登·赫雷拉 / 夏雨 / 新星出版社 / 2016
  弗里达是墨西哥历史上最富传奇色彩的女性画家。 她一生磨难，曾接受过三十多次手术，人生大部分的时间都在床上度过，但依旧成绩斐然，作品价格更高居全球女画家之首； ...
• 
  Diann Blakely

  Whether or not you saw FRIDA, Julie Taymor’s recent biopic about the late Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, reading about the artist’s color-saturated world can provide a spectacular antidote to the gray weeks of winter. The best introduction remains Hayden Herrera’s learned, thoroughly enjoyable biography Frida, which served as the basis for the film. Herrera’s study is particularly valuable in its extensive, down-to-earth commentary on Kahlo’s paintings. To many new viewers, her self-portraits seem determinedly macabre, even gruesome. But their visual motifs—miscarried fetuses, human hearts, skeletons, demonic monkeys—aren’t gratuitous. Instead, they fit squarely within the Mexican artistic tradition, ranging from its beginnings in pre-Columbian fertility statuary to its post-conquest retablos, iconographic offerings made to Christ and various saints after salvation from physical catastrophe.
  
  Kahlo often said that she suffered two calamitous accidents during her life. The first, a collision with a bus during her teens, produced, among other injuries, a triple fracture of the pelvis, compound breaks in her spinal column and a deeply slashing puncture wound caused by a steel handrail. The second, she often declared with the same black humor that helped her survive a lifetime of physical torments, was her tempestuous, often agonized relationship with her husband, the brilliant muralist and compulsively philandering Diego Rivera, whose appetites eventually led to an affair with Kahlo’s sister Cristina. Yet Kahlo’s adoration of Rivera was unwavering; and, in turn, she had no greater artistic teacher and champion. It was Rivera who encouraged Kahlo to begin painting seriously again after she suffered a miscarriage, teaching her to look to pre-Columbian and votive art for inspiration.
  
  Herrera’s biography is complemented by a reissue of her own stellar critical study, KAHLO: THE PAINTINGS. as well as by a glossy companion volume to the film, which contains her commentary, lavish pictorials, and the screenplay of the Taymor movie. Actor Edward Norton, who plays Nelson Rockefeller in the film, is given no official credit for the exquisitely constructed and highly literate screenplay, but he is deservedly thanked by the project’s major players, Taymor, Herrera and Salma Hayek.
  
  To bring Kahlo’s story to the screen, Hayek, the film’s star, had to overcome considerable resistance from Hollywood studios, which were reluctant to green-light a project about a Hispanic female artist. After reading the actress’s introduction to the Newmarket Press volume, it’s more than a little unsettling to realize how many years it took, despite Hayek’s ever-growing box-office power and the passionate support of actors like Norton, Alfred Molina and Ashley Judd. It should be obvious to anyone who in recent years has visited eBay that interest in Kahlo herself has grown exponentially. Furthermore, as all of the books under discussion here prove, the Kahlo-Rivera circle—which included Leon Trotsky, Edward Weston, Tina Modotti and Andre Breton—scintillated with as much innate drama, mordant glamour, sexuality and historical/political fireworks as anything our most novelistic and literate American filmmakers have been able to devise since Scorsese and Coppola in their heyday.
  
  
  
  
  (originally published in the NASHVILLE SCENE / Village Voice Media)
• 
  Ali

  This was a good compilation of Kahlo's work, but if you've read Herrera's bio, there's no real need to actually read this, too. It only gives a very brief overview of Kahlo's life, and all of the information, including analysis of the paintings, can be found in the bio, plus a lot more. I read the original edition of the bio, so I'm not sure if newer versions have more/better illustrations, but this is great to have by your side to see bigger and more colored versions of her work as you read about them.