Frida Kahlo was a very brilliant, tortured artist in the last century. Her work has inspired books, other artists and leaders, and even a film about her life. During her lifetime many viewers of her pieces believed they were outlandish or shocking simply because she chose not to depict the average life or objects the majority of artists choose to create. One particular painting of Kahlo’s really caught my eye, and seems to relate back to her sometimes painful and dark lifetime.

In the painting entitled, “Tree of Hope” the artist herself is depicted in two separate settings. On the left side of the picture is Kahlo wrapped in hospital blankets on a gurney. She has either current lacerations or scarring from what appears to be a horrible accident. On this particular side, Kahlo has chosen to hide her face from view, showing the viewer only her lower back and her long black hair. The background includes a depiction of almost a canyon-like floor with cracks and mountain views toward the back. This half of the painting also shows the bright, burning sun in a somewhat clouded sky. The scene on this side promotes a more lively appearance.

On the right side of the painting the artist has chosen to face the viewer, this time fully dressed in traditional Mexican garb with her hair fully done and enlaced with bright red flowers. She holds a sign in one hand and her back brace in the other, although she appears to be wearing the brace as well. Kahlo also wears jewelry like earrings and a necklace on this side as opposed to the other where she only has a simple sheet over her. The background also has mountains and the appearance of a canyon, although on this side the sky is dark with only the luminescence of the moon for light. There is much richer color on this half of the piece.






Frida Kahlo has frequently been criticized for her choice of subject in paintings as well as the sometimes graphic and obscure way in which she chose to create. “Tree of Hope” is no exception to the unusual pieces Kahlo created throughout her lifetime. This particular painting seems to have a real resemblance and value to the life of the artist. In Martha Zamora’s Excerpts from Frida Kahlo: The Brush of Anguish, the author discusses a terrible accident Frida was in while traveling on a bus. Frida suffered horrific injuries that she had to deal with everyday for the rest of her life. This particular painting seems to capture the anguish and pain she went though after that particular encounter.

The left side of the painting shows the artist with long lacerations or scarring on her back, while she is lying on a hospital gurney. The fact that she has chosen to hide her face gives the viewer the impression that she is too humiliated to show her face and her pain. The unusual aspect of this particular piece lies in the background. While other artists typically let the colors and the lighting of their painting help enhance the mood or theme they are trying to convey, Kahlo does the opposite. On the side where she is miserable in pain the sun burns brightly and happily, giving off the impression that she is feeling this way as well. That however is not the case.

On the opposite side Kahlo appears to be liberated from her wounds although she still bears a back brace. The contraption she is holding in her hands appears to be the dream of one day living without it. The artist wears bold, rich colors which really stand out against the dark background. As mentioned above, the scene behind Kahlo does not seem to match the mood. On the right side the dark canyon, cloudy sky, and light lamination of the moon promotes an eerie, depressed mood, rather than liberation from medical obstacles.

Overall, this painting “Tree of Hope” really caught my eye. While I was expecting something outrageous and graphic from Kahlo, I found a more demur yet still unusual piece really makes a dramatic impact on its viewer. Kahlo really fits into the category of surrealism, with the particular objects she chooses to incorporate within her artwork as well as the change up of backgrounds in order to keep the viewer on their toes. Throughout her life and career Frida Kahlo chose to use the anguish and horrors she actually experienced in order to really make unusual, amazing surrealistic artwork as well as a name for herself in history.


Zamora, Martha. Frida Kahlo: The Brush of Anguish. Chronicle Books.

"Tree of Hope." Art Archive. 17 Sept. 2009 .