Mexican artist Frida Kahlo as photographed by New York art dealer, Julien Levy (1938)
“I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint.”
To Julien Levy, who prepared Frida Kahlo‘s 1938 New York art exhibition, Frida wrote (in English):
“I never thought of painting until 1926, when I was in bed on account of an automobile accident. I was bored as hell in bed with a plaster cast (I had a fracture in the spine and several in other places), so I decided to do something. I stoled [sic] from my father some oil paints, and my mother ordered for me a special easel because I couldn’t sit down [she means “sit up”], and I started to paint.” (1)
Frida Kahlo paints in bed.
(1) Herrera, Hayden. Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1983.
Lisa's History Room 
I have to do a project on Frida for my art class and this website is very helpful.
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Nora, I’m so glad. I have written many documented posts on Frida.
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Dearest-
I am writing a one person play about Frida… and came across this site. You are insightful and obviously in love with this woman on a similar level as I.
I would love to be in contact with you, and keep up to pace on my ventures.
Much love…
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Briana, I am fascinated by Frida. How she lived with such pain is beyond me. Please stay in touch and thank you for such kind words.
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Its rather sad. This website has more information on Frida than the actual fridakahlo.com website. Thank you for posting all this helpful information.
“I am not sick. I am broken, but I am happy as long as I can paint.”
I love that quote.
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Nora, I am glad you’ve found something of value here. I love that Frida quote, too. I wonder if she said it in Spanish or English. Keep coming back to Lisa’s History Room.
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Im doing my presentation on Frida tomorrow. Im really nervous. Shes such and incredible woman its really hard deciding what to say and what not to say. Some of her best paintings have nude scenes in them and when presenting a project to a group of 7th graders, you know the idiot boys are going to say something.
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The human body is a beautiful thing.
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I got an A on my project!!!
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A is for Awesome, Nora.
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This web site is amazing, i’ve learned so much about Frida painful life! It would be great if you write a post about her final days and the words she said some days before her death.
Thank you!
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Emily, her last days are so sad. She took too much medicine on purpose so she could pass away speedily. She was tired of dying a slow death.
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Frida was an amazing artist. She deserves to have pages like this dedicated to her life.
I was studying about Frida and came across this great site.
I dont know if you are familiar with the book of a Croatian writer Slavenka Drakulic who wrote the book (Frida ili o boli) Frida or About the Pain. The book is incredible. It is about Fridas life, from her childhood to her death. It describes all the pain she was going through, why she painted some of the pictures, all about her relationship with men and her sister. I know that the book was transleted in a few languages but Im not sure if English was one of them. Considering your great enthusiasm with Frida I think you would enjoy this book so much.
Salute from Croatia.
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Laura, I have never spoken with anyone from Croatia before. I am so thrilled that you wrote me and like my Frida post. I will check out the book you mentioned. I have written several Frida articles here; enjoy!
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Hi Lisa…you have done such an amazing job on Frida…I just love her…her strength through life is so inspiring…
I know many people are writing about her on her birthday but I am going to honor her on July 13.the anniversary of her death because it was the same year I was born.I am going to be posting a link to your website because of the wealth of info here…
Great website!
Linda 🙂
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Linda, thank you for paying me such a compliment and linking to my website. I aim to please! Keep coming back to Lisa’s History Room, okay?
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I like Nora am also doing a project at school and this website has given me many of my ideas and facts for the reader has page that we have been set
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