Title of work and year: The Broken Column

medium: 1944

Size: oil on masonite

Blurb about artwork and artist (artist statement):

The broken Colum by Frida Kahlo is a self-portrait depicting her own suffering and physical pain after she was injured in a bus accident. In the painting Frida Kahlo depicts herself nude, with her torso cut open to show a broken column of a Greek architecture structure which symbolises her spine which left her with health issues and chronic pain. Kahlo's body is pierced with nails, representing the physical and emotional anguish she experienced. The combination of colours used conveys an emotionally charged composition that allows viewers to contemplate her physical and psychological struggles. The painting is a powerful exploration of pain, suffering, and the complexities of the human condition, and it remains one of Kahlo's most renowned and deeply personal works.