LACMA

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo includes personal elements in this painting that related to her life. She shows fruits grown in Mexico including coconuts, a large slice of papaya, and an orange. These were exported and represented the natural abundance of her country. She includes a small banner with the tricolors of the Mexican flag—green, white, and red. Her limited choice of colors repeats these colors: Where else do you see these colors used? On the banner she has written in Spanish, "Pintó con todo cariño. Frida Kahlo." ("Painted with all affection. Frida Kahlo.") and lets us know she painted with emotion. Look closer and you will find unusual details in the fruit. Can you see the tears on the coconuts that the painting is named for? The orange in the foreground appears to be rotting; what details suggest this? In contrast, the papaya has several seeds on it that symbolize fertility and the potential for new life.

Some people consider this still life (an arrangement of everyday objects) to be a self-portrait of Frida Kahlo. But instead of showing a picture of what she looked like, as portraits typically do, Frida has been very creative and shows us the things that connected to her life. What objects and colors would you choose for a composition that tells other people about your life, cultural heritage, or feelings?

Visit Collections Online to learn more about Weeping Coconuts and to see Frida's Portrait.

Frida Kahlo (Mexico, 1907–1954)
Weeping Coconuts (Cocos gimientes), 1951
Oil on board, 9 1/8 x 12 in. (23.18 x 30.48 cm)
The Bernard and Edith Lewin Collection of Mexican Art, M.2004.283.2
© 2007 Banco de México Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Museums Trust. Reproduction of Diego Rivera governed by Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura.
Photo © 2009 Museum Associates/LACMA