"What I Saw in the Water or What the Water Gave Me," by Frida Kahlo, 1938. Frida painted herself in the bath. The right foot shows a bleeding sore between the deformed big toe and second toe. By the early 1940s, Frida would be in constant pain from her back and right foot. She would be forced to take to her bed and wear a series of body casts.
(First see “Frida Kahlo Had Childhood Polio Part 1.”)
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo‘s childhood polio caused more than a slight deformity in her right leg. The decreased circulation to the limb caused her lifelong problems and pain.
From November 1-15, 1938, the first exhibition of Frida’s paintings was held at the avant-garde Julien Levy Gallery in New York City. At her opening, Frida looked spectacularly exotic in her Mexican costume, her starched bouffant skirts falling below her ankles.
"Frida on White Bench," photograph by Nickolas Muray, 1939
While the effect of her unusual outfit was striking and a perfect complement to her 25 paintings displayed in Mexican folkloric frames of metal, glass, and tin, Frida’s skirts played more than a decorative role. Frida explained:
“I must have full skirts and long, now that my sick leg is so ugly.”
The press was delighted with the paintings and Frida was the “flutter of the week in Manhattan.” During the course of the exhibition, Julien Levy wanted to show Frida the town. He took her bar-hopping in Harlem. He recalls:
“She didn’t jump to it, possibly because she was tired, and she couldn’t enjoy herself late at night. Bar-hopping is not easy to do if you are not light on your legs. She couldn’t overcome invalidism. After walking three blocks, her face would get drawn, and she’d begin to hang on your arm a little bit. If you kept walking, that would force her to say, ‘We must get a cab.'”
Frida’s right foot was the problem – again. She had developed warts on the sole of her foot. Of course, her spine ached. After her exhibit closed, she fell seriously ill. She saw a round of specialists, finally discovering Dr. David Glusker, who succeeded in closing the trophic ulcer that she had had on her foot for years.
Frida Kahlo in bed c.1950s
That was in 1938. Frida was to suffer pain for many more years, her degenerative spinal condition a result of the childhood polio and her streetcar accident in 1926. Some historians have suggested that Frida may have suffered from yet a third problem. They think that Frida could have been born with spina bifida, which further complicated her spine and leg issues.
Over the course of her lifetime, Frida would endure over 30 surgeries, multiple hospitalizations, and countless months of bedrest. Frida managed the constant pain with copious amounts of brandy and pills.
In 1953, gangrene set into her right foot and her leg had to be amputated below the knee. Frida was devastated.
After the 1953 amputation of her right leg below the knee because of her gangrenous right foot, Frida drew this image of her feet in her diary. She tried to make light of the loss, writing the poignant phrase, "Pies para que los quiero, si tengo alas pa' volar?" (Feet, why do I want them if I have wings to fly?)
The next year, Frida was dead from a morphine overdose, self-administered, probably a suicide.
Lisa's History Room 
Hi there! I was wondering if you happen to know a source for ordering prints of photographs of Frida Kahlo. I’m specifically interested in finding “Frida on White Bench”, but am having no luck. Thanks!
Karen
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That’s a Nickolas Muray photo. Nickolas Muray’s portraits of Frida Kahlo are in the permanent collection of the Frida Kahlo Museum,The George Eastman House, The National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian, and The Metropolitan Museum
of Art. They’re currently on exhibit in Aurora, Illinois. The promo image for the exhibit: “Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray” happens to be the one you are seeing: Frida on a White Bench. Meg Bero, the Director of the Native American Museum at the Aurora University, gave me the name and contact info for the company that put together the exhibit, Smith Kramer, Inc. Although they do not own the copyrights to the photos, they can put you in touch with someone who can give you rights and permissions to reproduce images. Contact: Ann C. Jones, Smith Kramer, INc. at either 816-756-3777 or 800-222-7522.
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I am wrirtitng from the italkian publishing house Feltrinelli and we are searching the holder of the rights of a Frida kahlo’s photo that we saw in your blog. do you have a private email so we can talk each other? thank you
Silvia Grassi
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Silvia, I don’t have the info you seek but you are free to email me at lisarogers224@austin.rr.com.
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I’ve play a game on my blog each Tuesday where I get my readers to compare two pieces from the same artist and comment in 30 words or less either comparing them to each other, or to their own life.
Today I chose Frida and it has been interesting to read the responses. She still has the capacity to polarise!
http://www.giftsofserendipity.com/2011/03/two-for-tuesday-frida-kahlo.html
One of my readers recommended your site and I’ve enjoyed reading interesting facts about Frida that I didn’t know before.
Have you read Barbara Kingsolvers book ‘The Lacuna’?
Frida and Diego along with Trotsky feature heavily.
Thanks for all that you’ve shared here, it’s one of the most informative sites I’ve found.
Felicity
http://www.giftsofserendipity.com
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I will check out your link. I am so glad you found something fun to read at Lisa’s History Room.
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This is an amazing website or page! Some underground education, I never knew. Keep up the GOOD work…
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[…] https://lisawallerrogers.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/frida-kahlo-had-childhood-polio-part-2/ […]
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[…] Credits: here, here, here, here, here, […]
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Reblogged this on shamaineanne and commented:
One good source for my HumII Report 😀
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I had not read abt the possibility of Frida having spina bifida, but I have read more than a few times that her pain may have been exacerbated by Fibromyalgia. The FMS would have come on as a post- traumatic illness from the streetcar accident or the following surgeries.
As a paraplegic on knee high leg braces and a cane for 30 years now, I can only begin to understand the anguish she went through with the surgeries, casts, treatments and medications available fifty years ago. Add the right leg already weakened by polio. After years of ambulating in an able- bodied world the polio survivor’s muscles in the weakened areas can’t do it any more. It’s called post polio syndrome. For example, I walk as a paralytic, I have Lyme Disease + Fibromyalgia, and I’m looking forward to a hip replacement as my body is breaking down as a paraplegic. So I guess what I’m saying-in to many words- that polio + plus the horrible body damage, 30 surgeries, the circulation breaking down in the leg- is enough to be in anguish. The gal didn’t need spina bifida or Fibromyalgia to feel any worse. And self medicating with self delivered morphine and brandy it’s also probable that her tolerance had gotten so high taking morphine, etc for so many years that adding a bit more- or not- to the syringe- her heart just gave out, weakened by all the body’s torments.
Just a thought.
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i also have had Polio with a few of Fridas complaints..Chronic foot/back pain,ulcers..I am on the verge of getting an amputation myself as Im so sick and tired of being in pain..I really understand her anguish.I also paint mainly because its one of the only physical pleasures still open to me.Great informative site by the way.
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Lisa I am so happy I have read your factual and informing website/blog . I watched the movie Frida about the life of Frida Kahlo’s and Diego Rivera. I was in a trance watching the movie and then In my magazine Veranda , an article about Frida’s paintings being shown in New York, at the Botanical Gardens in May of this yr. Footnote I learned some very minor things from the movie . Great lady Frida! Kahlo’…thanks again jan
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Frida is infinitely fascinating, isn’t she? Best, Lisa
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Thank you this was so helpful. I don’t know what I would have done without you Lisa!
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[…] mustache, etc.) and embellished her outfits with bright flowers and statement jewellery; historians speculate she wore long skirts to mask her right leg, which was mangled by childhood polio. Deepika […]
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[…] mustache, etc.) and embellished her outfits with bright flowers and statement jewellery; historians speculate she wore long skirts to mask her right leg, which was mangled by childhood polio. Deepika […]
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