Frida Kahlo's Love Letters
Edited by Suzanne Barbezat, Frida Kahlo’s Love Letters is a collection of the artist’s correspondence illuminated by Kahlo’s unique spirit.
Barbezat was inspired to compile a selection of Kahlo’s correspondence while researching another biographical work, Frida Kahlo at Home. Captivated by the letters’ immediacy, Barbezat notes that Kahlo’s letters were distinctive in their candor, “creativity and zeal.”
The letters are reproduced in their original form and are accompanied by transcribed, often translated text. Relevant photographs, diary entries, and vibrant artwork are also featured, as with Kahlo’s striking 1928 portrait of her first significant boyfriend, Mexican writer and politician Alejandro Gómez Arias.
Kahlo’s marriage (followed by divorce and remarriage) to muralist Diego Rivera was her longest and most impassioned relationship. Her words to him express affection, self-doubt, anger regarding his infidelities, and yearning during periods of separation. She concludes a 1935 letter with the compelling entreaty: “Love me a little. I adore you.”
Additional selected correspondence includes letters to Kahlo’s other lovers, including photographer Nickolas Muray, along with an intriguing note to American painter Georgia O’Keeffe, praising the unforgettable color of O’Keeffe’s eyes and her “wonderful hands.”
With emotional and visual intensity, Frida Kahlo’s Love Letters is a fascinating glimpse into the soul of the iconic artist.
Reviewed by
Meg Nola
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
