Elusive to the end

Abstract

This article presents two art pieces for the Canadian Medical Association Journal. First was of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo had an operation in 1946 to fuse four vertebrae with a metal rod and a piece of bone extracted from her pelvis. Months later, she was still in constant pain, suffered from depression and paranoia, was drinking heavily and popping painkillers. Second one was of The Broken Column, 1944, thankfully made it to Toronto. Kahlo is dressed only in a medical corset. Her chest is open to reveal her spine is a broken Ionic column. Her skin is embedded with nails. She weeps at the pain that drove her to drink, drugs and Parres. The first painting shows the artist in a Detroit hospital bed, nude and bleeding after a miscarriage. Hovering above her is the male fetus she lost. Kahlo liked to give the impression that she wanted, more than anything, to have a child by Rivera, who had offspring from previous relationships. The truth may be different. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)