Viva La Vida

Eight days before her death Frida gathered all her strength, focus and spirit to paint Viva La Vida, a still-life that serves as a metaphor for her life. As in many of her self-portraits the background is painted with contrasting skies, a symbol of the duality in the cosmos and in herself. Several watermelons are sliced and hacked, revealing the red pulp that sustains life. A couple of them remain untouched, perhaps her way of communicating that in defiance of all her illnesses and surgeries a part of her remained whole, complete.

She punctuated the painting with the words Viva La Vida on a slice nearest the observer; a message I interpret to mean that despite the difficulties and tragedies one experiences life is sacred, life is to be celebrated, life is to be lived.

Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera is a mesmerizing, dark, vivid, vibrant and fascinating story on one of the greatest painters in human history. I highly, highly recommend reading it.