Overview
The reason that I offered that background concerning those three events is because it helps me to explain what The Broken Column was doing socially and more so personally when Frida Kahlo created it. Kahlo’s painting demonstrates a great deal of pain and intense emotions. Since this is a self-portrait, it was crucial that I gave the history of Kahlo’s life to better understand the details of the painting. The painting shows a split going down her chest and an iron rail going through from her pelvis up to her throat. This is the same iron rail that impaled Frida during the terrible bus accident. The rod being the center of the painting can be to show that the accident ruined her body. The nails all over her body can signify that she was in pain all over physically and mentally. The nails can also signify all of the events in her life that might have caused her pain. For example, the pins can be a symbol for the many surgeries, miscarriages, infidelities and or “no’s” from her doctor about having children. As we can see so may have hurt more than others by the size of the nail. The tears in the painting expresses the intense sadness and chronic pain that she endured internally and externally. The white cloth at the bottom of the painting could symbol surrender. Kahlo was suffering for many years and she wanted it to end. The white cloth could express the suicidal thoughts she had which why it was important for me to include her death previously. This painting shows that ultimately all that Frida Kahlo had was her pain.
Kahlo, Frida. The Broken Column. 1944