Description
Long live life, watermelons: a pictorial testament of Frida Kahlo
Living painting life, watermelons of Frida Kahlo is a work that, at first glance, may seem simple and direct. However, as with all Kahlo's creations, there is much more in this painting than is seen with the naked eye. This article is immersed in the artistic composition, the use of color, the characters and the unknown aspects of this masterpiece.
Completed in 1954, Life Life, Sandiah was one of Kahlo's last paintings before his death. The work presents a series of cut and whole watermelons arranged in a terracotta floor under a bright blue sky. In one of the watermelons, Kahlo has inscribed the words living life, a cry of celebration of life despite his imminent final.
The artistic composition of painting is remarkably different from Kahlo's other works, which are often intensely personal and symbolic portraits. Instead of focusing on his own physical and emotional pain, Kahlo addresses a more universal theme: the beauty and transience of life. The arrangement of watermelons, some cut to reveal their juicy pulp and others still intact, can be interpreted as a representation of life in its different stages.
The use of color in viva life, watermelons is vibrant and full of life, which reinforces the message of painting. The intense reds of the watermelons contrast with the blue of the sky and the earthy brown of the soil, creating an image that is both cheerful and melancholic. Kahlo was known for his ability to use color symbolically, and in this painting, bright colors can be interpreted as an affirmation of life and beauty in the midst of adversity.
Although life lives, watermelons does not present human characters, the watermelons themselves can be considered characters. Each is unique, with their own forms and cuts, and together they form a scene that is both static and full of movement. The watermelons, in their simplicity, become symbols of life itself.
One of the less known aspects of Live Life, Sandías is that Kahlo painted her while she was confined in her bed due to her deteriorated health. Despite his suffering, Kahlo continued to paint until the end of his life, and this work is a testament of his resistance and his love for life.
Long live life, watermelons is a work that encapsulates the philosophy of life of Frida Kahlo: despite pain and adversity, there is beauty and joy in life. It is a painting that invites reflection and appreciation, and continues to resonate with the spectators more than half a century after its creation.