Jewish Women on the Map - Frida Kahlo Museum - Coyoacan, Mexico

Location

Frida Kahlo, well known for her striking self-portraits, her strong Mexican and feminist sensibilities, and her tumultuous passionate life, was born in Coyoacan, Mexico, on July 6, 1907. Her mother's family was of Spanish and Native Mexican descent, while her father was a German Jewish immigrant. Although she is best known for her representations of Mexican culture, her Jewish background also influenced her work.

Kahlo is now regarded as one of the most important artists of 20th-century Mexico. Her paintings have been shown in solo exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and at the Tate Modern Museum in London. A major traveling exhibition showcased her work alongside that of Georgia O'Keefe. A 2003 Jewish Museum exhibit in New York focused on Kahlo's relationship to her Jewish roots as it was portrayed in her 1936 painting, "My Grandparents, My Parents, and I." In 2000, a 1929 self-portrait sold for more than $5 million at auction.

In recent years, Kahlo has become something of an iconic cult figure. Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier created a collection inspired by Kahlo, and her 1933 self-portrait was featured on a 2001 U.S. postage stamp. In 2002, the film Frida, based on her biography, was nominated for an Academy Award.

See also: "Artist Frida Kahlo born", This Week in History; "Happy birthday, Frida Kahlo!", Jewesses With Attitude.