Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera (II) — The Conflicts
At first glance, the love story between Frida and Diego looks like a Hollywood romantic comedy — with the sweet meet cue at the art institute, a fearless heroine and a ladies’ man that waiting to be tamed, but it’s not all sweet like a dream. (Revisit Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera (I) — The Encounter HERE.) Today, let’s continue to see how the story goes.
In fact, at the time when the two met, Diego was already married to Lupe Marin. This was not the biggest obstacle though. Since their encounter in 1922, they had not seen each other again until 1928, a mutual friend Tina Modotti reintroduced Frida and Diego to one another. Diego was no longer married. The two found that they shared same passion not only in art but also at politics. They then quickly got married one year after the reunion in August of 1929.
Shortly after the marriage, Diego had gone world-wide famous. Firstly moved to San Francisco and later settling in New York, Frida was still unknown to the art world but the tag of Mrs. Diego Rivera.
A miscarriage in 1932 lit Frida’s artistic career up. While recovering from the miscarriage, Frida used painting as a therapy to cope with the tragedy. She started painting self-portraits and developing her emotional signature style of revolutionary spirit that we all know today.
This growth of fame had built an ongoing conflict between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Whether to stay in the United States for Diego’s career, or back to Mexico for Frida’s homeland attachment, arguments clash in. Although Diego finally compromised and the two moved back to Mexico in 1935, this is the hint for their future heartbreak.
Relocation back to Mexico brought Diego to Frida’s younger sister Christina. Frida bumped into the betrayal of two people she trusted and loved. Reconciliation after the affair never fully recovered. On the contrary, the affair allowed the couple to follow the trend of infidelity with multiple partners, and they ended in divorce in 1940.
Two of the greatest legends on art history ended up no different then another modern love story. Yet this frustrating relationship is going to shape Frida to stand as an independent woman artist. In next part, also the final part of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, we will see how Frida turned her tragic life to an artistic adventure.
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