An Analysis of the Book Frida Kahlo: A Biography

Frida, a biography of a Mexican painter, was the work of author Hayden Herrera. First printed in 1983 by Harper Collins, this book was reprinted in 2002. Herrera received help from the Graduate School of the City University of New York, as well as a grant from the Art History Program Dissertation Fund. Hayden Herrera, an art historian, intrigued by the complex and contradictive life of Frida Kahlo, felt the desire to record and perfect an autobiography in tribute to the woman. Well aware of the myths that are full of contradictions and vague, Herrera puts out the truth, assured that the truth will not dismiss the myth that Frida created herself. Herrera put together a chronological account of this life and included important aspects that add to the credibility of the book. She uses excerpts from Frida's diary, her letters, and interviews, as well as her paintings. The book is full of Frida's paintings and short descriptions of them. Hayden Herrera has produced an exhaustively researched study of the Mexican painter's life, loves, and artistic ambitions.…