Frida Kahlo's 'The Two Fridas’: Great Art Explained

Alternatively, every video has a "thanks" button under it- I appreciate it!

"What a brilliant series this is" - Stephen Fry on Twitter 12 December 2020

"Thoroughly researched and cleverly presented, with stunning visuals, Great Art Explained makes you realise that familiarity with a work of art sometimes makes us indifferent to its power" - Forbes Magazine, 9 July 2020

I started "Great Art Explained" during lockdown. My aim is to make videos which focus on one great artwork. I want to present art in a jargon free, entertaining, clear and concise way with no gimmicks.

Subscribe and click the bell icon to get more arts content. Each video takes me about three weeks to a month, so I download at least once a month:

Frida Kahlo is the most famous female artist in history. She deviated from the traditional portrayal of female beauty in art, and instead chose to paint raw and honest experiences. A near fatal bus accident at 18 left Frida crippled and in chronic pain her whole life, but she managed to make a virtue out of adversity, and astonishing original art out of her pain. She was a Mexican, female artist who was disabled, in a male-dominated environment in post-revolutionary Mexico. A feminist icon who broke all social conventions, and produced some of the most haunting and visionary images of the 20th century.

James Payne explains 'The Two Fridas', her greatest painting, created during a period of deep instability fro Frida Kahlo.

CREDITS
All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel does not claim any right over them.

Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Chinese subtitles: Charles Xue

BOOKS
Frida: The Biography of Frida Kahlo - Hayden Herrera
Frida Kahlo: I Paint my Realities - Christina Burns

MUSIC
Intro music: JS Bach “Sonata for violin solo No.1 in G Minor”

The Two Fridas, qualifies as fair use under United States copyright law.
Frida Kahlo foundation

[adamblackshaw]

Someone give this guy a TV show and book contract!

[Apollo_Blaze]

I love her for never bowing to convention...she once went to a party in New York and all the ladies were wearing satin gowns and diamonds, and Frida walked in wearing her beautiful colorful Mexican cottons with ribbons and flowers in her hair...such a powerful woman. She was so beautiful.

[blaskiewicz]

i hadn't even considered the skin tone differences in "The Two Fridas" adds such an intensity to the painting, thank you!

[Aquinza]

The fact that the most famous female painter is a disabled openly bisexual Jewish-Mexican woman who became famous on her own terms and not just because she was Diego’s wife is the coolest thing to me. Her life was marred with struggles and tragedy and yet she was able to express it so beautifully and fight for her place in the spotlight in a male-dominated field. I have so much respect for her it’s unreal.

[frankisnot]

That's a very small detail perhaps, but i love how respectful your language towards every artist is, no matter who they are

[samsung]

I once saw a real Frida Kahlo at the SFMOMA, it was a self portrait. It was something else, it looked like she was alive in the painting, present and she just drew you in with her gaze, it was a simple portrait but it moved me deeply cause it had so much palpable emotion, her paintings have this magnetic aura about them that draw the viewer in, once you look, you can’t stop looking 👀

[alsie]

I went to visit her house in Mexico City now a museum. It was wild. So colourful and very eclectic. Cluttered and decorative. Canary yellow walls with pictures of Mao on her bedroom wall. It was an unreal experience actually walking through the house where she lived and worked towards the end of her life.

[annabellehustace]

Hi! At 3:42 he talks about her cutting her hair and a photo is shown. I just wanted people to know that that photo is actually a family photo that was taken in 1924. There is however, a very famous painting that Frida Kahlo did called Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair that was painted in 1940, a year after her divorce and that is shown at 10:27. I think this channel is doing a great job at engaging people and teaching them more about art and the history around the art world! I'm just trying to help by clearing up something that could confuse someone

[SignedOff]

“May my exit be enjoyable and may I never return.” This was Frieda’s remarks before she died.

[jeremybarnido]

"Mainly known as Diego Rivera's wife in her lifetime, it wasn't until her work was rediscovered by art historians and feminists that we now think of Diego as Frida Kahlo's husband."

This got me screaming cathartically inside,

[mariaholz]

I always wondered what the big deal was about Frida Kahlo. These little films really made me change my view on art. Brilliant as always James x

[MiiPaintings]

Thank you for making this video. She has been such an inspiration and her life influenced my art career. I always enjoy watching videos about her

[morganjames]

So sad seeing how much she suffersd .
Totally feel for her ..
I too became disabled and now live 24 7 in bed lying completely flat.
Being a retired art teacher, I'm desperate to get painting again.
I'm hoping I can paint in bed, but it's so difficult with spinal problems.
I'm amazed how she over come all this.
What shocked me was the fact she couldnt have children.
I too have the same problem, cant have children due to illness.
Well it almost broke me completely...
I dont know how she found the strength to paint about her life.
She must have been a very strong woman at heart.
I have great respect for her, and hope I can learn to be as determined as her....
...and get back into art.
What an amazing soul.
What beautiful work.
💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

[babysenpai]

Always thought she challenged the modern way of viewing beauty and I like it because I myself have some dark features and love my moustache but now that I understand the story behind her paintings and suffering, I m so much impressed than ever.. May she rest in peace.

[stefandemetriou]

So compelling and entertaining. Another great episode that brings artists and their art to life - with fascinating insight and illuminating commentary. I learnt loads, as ever!

[twittyfatcat]

Wait? She's the most famous female painter? 😲 Wow. Now that I think about it I can't name another famous female painter from the top of my head. I can name male painters like Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh easily but I only know about Kahlo and that's because I'm Mexican too. We definitely need more female painters.

[msKita]

I was in middle school when I first saw her work in a coffee table book at a friend's house. Her work brought me to tears then and it has the same effect on me now over 20 years later. What a powerful presence she must've been in person.

[KarresseMe]

So much attention to detail. I took a History of Women's Art class & fell in love with the stories behind her work.

[eduardof]

I was able to see this painting at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City, where it is currently exposed, and it is absolutely impressive. Pictures do not make any justice. It has so much texture and volume that even from the distance it looks like its coming out of the frame into life.

[thDecember]

I always understood there was a mystique about Frida Kahlo, but never knew anything about her life and the suffering she endured. Such a remarkable woman. Thank you for drawing us into her world.