FRIDA KAHLO - SELF PORTRAIT with THORN NECKLACE, 1940, oil on canvas by

Brush Strokes

2024-02-07 14:52:25 UTC

Frida Kahlo has painted this using smooth, continuous, carefully planned brushstrokes (particularly on the skin). This has been done to give a sense of depth and make the painting look more realistic.

-Peter

In my opinion “Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace” follows the surrealism movement. This can be seen in the flying flowers. This has been used to give a dream like effect which is very much seen in the surrealism movement.

140640794 — 2024-02-07 14:53:16 UTC

Elili and Libby

Colour

140689270 — 2024-02-07 14:53:48 UTC

in my opinion, there are colours that represents the mexican culture.
We can see that in the leaves behind her at the background, and the clothes she’s wearing also represents the mexican culture.
This shows that the painting is a good representation of the mexican culture

In my opinion “Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace” follows the realism movement. This is demonstrated on her skin where she uses smooth brush strokes to give a realistic look. This has been used to show the style of realism.

140640794 — 2024-02-07 14:54:56 UTC

Elili and Libby

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2024-02-07 14:55:10 UTC

In my opinion, Frida kahlo uses background in her painting 'self portrait with thorn necklace' to show how her culture shapes her. This can be seen in the background, which features dragonfly flowers. The dragonfly is a symbol of joy and prosperity in Mexican culture, and the flower showing love and fidelity. This creates a surrealist image that shows an image of joy and carefree aspects of life, flying high above the rest of the painting, similar to the other aspect of Mexican symbolism that are used in this painting.

2024-02-07 14:55:54 UTC

One of the main features in the painting is the dark colours. This can be seen within the animals which are a monkey and cat. This has been used to create a sinister and dark feeling.

The dead humming bird on her necklace looks like her unibrow. The humming bird is a symbol of freedom in Mexico, the fact it is dead symbolises the fact that there is no freedom. Her unibrow has the same shape as the humming bird this may symbolise how she feels she has no freedom in life.

-Sandy

2024-02-07 14:57:15 UTC

The composition is quite simple looking it is easy to see the layers with her as the foreground to animals then the leaves in the background gives unrealistic look in that sense because would be less simple if it were more realistic.

Frida Kahlo is heavily influenced by Mexican culture. We can see this in her traditional Mexican attire in the painting. This shows her love for her country and nationality.

2024-02-07 14:58:16 UTC

- Harshika and Lucianna

In “Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace” one of the main features is the influence from Mexican art and culture. An example of this is the bright green tropical leaves in this background. This has been used to create a Mexican feel to the painting and to make it more personal for Frida.

140640794 — 2024-02-07 15:00:16 UTC

Elili

Frida Kahlo was influenced by surrealism. We can see this throughout the painting at the flower dragonflies, a the monkey manipulating her thorn necklace as well as the necklace itself. This has been used to create a darker element in the painting to reflect the more sinister elements in life.

2024-02-07 15:00:18 UTC

- Harshika

2024-02-07 15:00:42 UTC

It also looks unrealistic due to the lack of shadow between Frida and the monkey’s chest makes the painting’s composition look artificial.

colour

140689270 — 2024-02-07 15:00:53 UTC

Frida has painted the two animals in the portrait in black which
makes her stand out a lot in the portrait

This can be seen on her sides of herself in the portrait and it’s easily noticed since there really dark so it makes her pop out a lot more

This shows that frida is the vocal point in the portrait and the black animals are their to show symbols and bring her out more in the portrait.

Layering

2024-02-07 15:02:45 UTC

The painting has been made surrealist through the use of layering. The foreground (herself), midground (animals) and background (leaves) are all very distinct, which creates a flat feeling. This gives an artificial look and helps to sell the painting’s surrealist style.

-Peter

Tone

2024-02-07 15:03:15 UTC

We believe that Frida made the thorn necklace at the bottom of her neck is animated, like in a cartoon, and maybe this was done to match the tone on her skin. (Craig and Hannah)

Kahlo uses a lot of detail in this painting. This can be seen in the monkeys fur, the skin of Frida, the leaves and several other things. Kahlo has chosen this technique to show the movement of realism throughout the poster.

140640794 — 2024-02-07 15:04:39 UTC

Elili

Symmetry

2024-02-07 15:06:17 UTC

The artist has used composition to create a sense of balance. The black monkey and cat on her right and left shoulders, as well as the general symmetry of her face, clothing, and the leafy background all balance the painting. This gives a feeling of evenness and calmness.

-Peter

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2024-02-07 15:06:18 UTC

In my opinion, Frida kahlo uses background in her painting 'self portrait with thorn necklace' to show her traumas and her self image through her life and culture. In this painting Frida has used the two animals in the background to show her life, and her husband. In Mexican culture, cats represent freedom and independance, which Frida in most of her life was denied because of a combination of physical sickness and illness, and the sexist and racist ideas of the early to mid 20th century, often holding her back. The monkey in the painting represents her husband likely, as he gifted her a monkey in life. Here, Frida shows the monkey as focused on her thorn necklace, which possible could symbolise the trapping elements of her life, so the monkey being focused on it whilst the cat is not could show the caring element from her husband that Frida wishes he showed more often. This shows how the balance in her life is created by the freedom she wishes she had, and the husband she wishes cared for her, as he was often seen with other women and not caring for his wife in the times of herr life when she was in hospital.

One of the main feature of “Self Portait with Thorn Necklace” is the tonal work. This is demonstrated on Frida’s skin. This is effective because it gives a significant depth to her face.

140640794 — 2024-02-07 15:06:51 UTC

Elili

2024-02-07 15:07:12 UTC

There are leading lines from the thrones turned into a necklace, like Jesus’s, leading up to the humming bird then her face. This creates a main focal point which the viewers eyes are unknowingly draw towards. This means the artist can have her face in the middle and depict where she wants the viewers eyes to go first and then lead over the rest of the painting.

-Sandy

Frida Kahlo’s painting has a very crowded background. We can see this in the foliage behind her and the animals, overcrowding the painting frame. Frida has done this to reflect her mental state, to show that there is a lot going on in her life as well as help to make the person in the middle stand out due to the arrangement on foliage.

2024-02-07 15:08:06 UTC

- Harshika

Tone

140689270 — 2024-02-07 15:10:08 UTC

Frida Kahlo’s painting was detailed painted.
We can see that in the leaves at the background behind her, and the lack of the tone which made a flat look.
This shows that the painting is serealistic as it’s not 3d

Tone

2024-02-07 15:10:18 UTC

The monkey on the left and the cat on the right look like they have the same tone but the bird on the necklace is added with some orange where as the other animals are fully dark. This makes us think the bird is a figurine to add some fabric to the thorn necklace. (Craig and Hannah)

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2024-02-07 15:10:52 UTC

In my opinion Frida kahlo shows various elements of her life though colour in her painting 'self portrait with thorn necklace'. This can be seen in how she represents trauma or negative emotion, with black, like in the monkey, which was a gift from her often uncaring husband. This shows how she holds on to her traumas and how they shape her as a person

Henry

Chaos

2024-02-07 15:11:55 UTC

The composition of the painting is quite chaotic - there is a lot going on with the leaves, flowers, animals, thorns, and of course Frida Kahlo herself. This may have been done to represent the chaos in her life, and gives the painting a very busy look.

-Peter

In my opinion the painting was influenced by her emotions. This can be seen in her blank face. This shows that the thorn necklace is causing her pain but she doesn’t express her feeling

140689041 — 2024-02-07 15:16:32 UTC

Lucianna