Kahlo's Column

FRIDA KAHLO'S, THE BROKEN COLUMN (1944)

is one of Kahlo's many self portraits. Like the others, she represents her pain clearly on her canvas. In this piece specifically, she had just been hit by a bus. Only in her early twenties and prime of life, Frida's suffering was magnified and obviously emptying. One day she was traveling on bus and another bus came through and shot something through her pelvis, breaking her spine column. In this piece, we see her face in a grimace but less emotion showing through. In that way, her strength comes through. As we scan over the contents, we see nails sticking out of her body. This could be highlighting the sharpness of external pains and partially paralleling the sharp object that smashed through her. Further we see a medal rod sticking straight up through her body, replacing her spine. The shows her insides and nothing but cold, darkness. Symbolizing the emptiness of her internal pain. She is strapped. Most likely metaphorical for how she felt trapped in bed. This can be guessed at also because of the sheet half on her body. She is also stranded in a cracked plain like place at a stand stilll, almost statuesque. This could portray her sadness and loneliness for being unable to move and walk. She could also be portraying herself missing the lively pieces of her and her easy ability to paint and do the things she loves. Further, is could be a limbo state as she was almost given up on due to how drastic her state was when the accident happened. Her partial nakedness represents her experimentation with her body and her sexuality on canvas. This is just one of the many representations Frida projects of herself that portrays her suffering but also her desire and portrayal of strength.