Frida Kahlo - Tree of Hope

This painting gives a lot of meaning to Frida Kahlo's life.  It wasn't all good after the accident she went through and the various operations she had to go through as well.  When you first look at this painting it sort of gives you a glimpse of the good side and the bad side.  You can clearly tell this by observing the light side and dark side incorporated in the painting.  This painting captured my attention because it's something that Frida painted expressing how she felt during the that time (1946).  Many of us either write how we feel, show it, or even keep it to ourselves.  Not Frida though, she painted how she felt at that exact moment and thus she has given us the opportunity to explore her extravagant paintings that had both good and bad expressions of her emotions.

         

          This painting shows two Fridas.  One of them is laying down on the hospital bed after a recent operation, while the other one is holding up a message saying "Tree of Hope, Remain Strong".  What's also interesting about her message is that it derived from one of her favorite song called "Cielito Lindo".  It's really an important yet strong message Frida is the giving the viewers.  With the message, she seems to be giving herself courage despite all the bad situations she has already been through, from the accident to the various operations she had to go through.   Her courage to remain strong despite everything that has gone wrong shows her willingness to move on with her life and live it the best way she can. 

          

          As you focus more on the painting it is divided into two.  As I said before one light and one dark side.  The laying down scarred Frida is on the light side but not for a good reason.  In Aztec Mythology human  blood is used as a sacrifice for the sun.  In other words, the sun is fed by sacrificial human blood.  Frida did this to probably portray how that version of Frida is not who she wanted to be.  Her two scars on her back symbolize pain and agony in that body in which she might find she is stuck in for the rest of her life.  It's most probably the reason why she painted the laying down Frida on the Sun's side.  She looks helpless on the hospital bed and if it was up to her, she would sacrifice her own body because she didn't see it as any good use anymore.  On the other hand, she painted another version of herself on the dark side where the moon is glimmering bright.  This version of Frida is the strong and optimistic one.  Unlike the other Frida, this one is below the moon which is a symbol of womanhood.  As you can see on her other hand, she is holding a corset, in which she figured she would've got rid of after the operation, but sadly that wasn't the case.  This version of herself she painted was who she wanted to be, without the corset on her back, wearing a beautiful dress and still standing strong.  Instead this painting was to be known as the "beginning of the end" for Frida.

          

          In conclusion, I would say let's look at this painting not in a negative way but more of how Frida never gave up.  This painting was meant to show viewers how she still believed in herself and had hope, hence the title "Tree of Hope".  Despite the many flaws she had to go through, she stayed strong and lived her "good" life  the best way she could and that's what really matters in the end.