Famous artists Marc Chagall (1887-1985) and Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) share a surprising amount in common, beyond the mere fact that they both have birthdays in July. It's true, Chagall tends to be celebrated for his uplifting paintings, whereas Kahlo is renowned for her poignant imagery. Nonetheless, both artists created deeply personal works that were rich with color, symbolism and emotion.
Born in Mexico on July 6, 1907, Frida Kahlo was a famous painter, an active Communism supporter and the wife of Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Due to a debilitating spinal condition caused by a bus accident when she was a youth, Kahlo spent much of her time bedridden. Nonetheless, she churned out work after ingenious artwork, rich with feeling, detail and color. Her creations were often portraits, celebrations of the self. In Frida's own words:
I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.
The Frame
By Frida Kahlo
Kahlo's illness brought her much pain, as did her tumultuous relationship with her philandering husband. She translated this pain, however, into the creation of beautiful works of art. In Diego En Mi Pensamiento, below, Kahlo uses symbolism to portray the power of her love for the wayward Rivera, and his constant presence in her thoughts.
Diego En Mi Pensamiento
By Frida Kahlo
By apparent contrast, artist Marc Chagall chose to convey happy themes and events in his deeply personal artwork. Born in Russia on July 7, 1887, Chagall was raised in a humble Jewish ghetto and went on to live in Nazi-occupied St. Petersburg. He later moved to France, where he would become celebrated for his playful, joyful works of art. Commenting on his lighthearted works, Chagall once said:
Only love interests me, and I am only in contact with things that revolve around love.
Lovers
By Marc Chagall
Despite the turmoil he experienced in his early life, Chagall chose to fill his artwork with bright, vivid colors and many symbols of prosperity and happiness. Some of Chagall's favorite visual metaphors included the cow (life and abundance), tree (life), cock (fertility, often painted with lovers), the female bosom (fertility and eroticism) and horses (freedom).
I and My Village
By Marc Chagall
From different sides of the world, under different circumstances, Frida Kahlo and Marc Chagall painted rich, colorful, deeply felt expressions of their innermost emotions. And while both artists had adversities to overcome, both rose to the occasion and translated life experience into beautiful, emotionally moving works of art.
July being the birth month of both Kahlo and Chagall, what better time to explore the rich worlds of each artist's creations? We invite you to peruse the art of Frida Kahlo and Marc Chagall now.
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