Henry Ford Hospital by Frida Kahlo
Henry Ford Hospital by Frida Kahlo depicts Frida, laying in a hospital bed, surrounded by various body parts and medical instruments, as well as a stillborn fetus. Frida appears to have had a miscarriage, and is mourning the loss of the child. This painting, similar to The Broken Column, depicts strong aspects of femininity. Again, the commentary is on Frida's struggle with fertility due to the injuries she obtained following her tragic bus accident. The painting is characterized by the use of mainly earthy tones, with the exception of the blue background. The painting uses soft lines when defining the female body and the various body parts, perhaps to emphasize the gentleness that is often associated with women. However, hard lines are used to define the bed and the medical instruments, perhaps to allude to the sadness and anguish Frida feels about her fertility issues. I think the painting is meant to depict the mental and physical heartbreak that Frida experienced while trying and failing to conceive. I like this work because it accurately depicts the stress of childbirth on women, and how severely it can impact mental health. From this work, I plan to integrate this painting's use of harsh lines to emphasize and promote definition. Harsh lines will be used in my piece to create contrast between the main focuses of my block print. I also plan to explore the metaphorical meanings of the various body parts within this painting, and integrate those concepts into my own work. |