The Museo Casa Estudio has been remarkably preserved and restored. It is open for visitors to come inside and explore, a chance to step into the intimate spaces where Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo painted, entertained and simply existed together, as apart. Come with us as we explore the entirety of the Museo Casa Estudio and learn more about the artists who lived here and the man who built this revolutionary property!

Guide to the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo

1. Location & Access
2. Admission & Hours
3. About Diego Rivera
4. About Frida Kahlo
5. Juan O'Gorman
6. Modernist Architecture
   • Functionalism
7. Designing the Casa Estudio
   • Life inside the Casa Estudio
   • Studio as Museum
8. Exterior Foyer
   • The Bathrooms
9. Diego's House
   • 2nd Floor Bedroom
10. Diego's Studio
    • Mezzanine
    • Rooftop
    • The Bridge of Diego and Frida's Love
11. Frida's Studio
    • What the Water Gave Me
12. The O'Gorman Guest House
    • Dining Room Mural

Location & Access

The Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo is located in the neighbourhood of San Angel, in the far south of the city centre. To access the museum, you can take an Uber or taxi directly into the district’s centre. The Uber fare costs about $7 USD and takes about 20-30 minutes (depending on traffic) from the centre of Mexico City. If you’d prefer to take public transit, you can hop on the metro towards Miguel Angel de Quevedo Station. From here, you’ll have to change to one of the city’s metro buses that will take you directly into the Altavista suburbs where the museum is located.

Admission & Hours

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm. The price of admission is $40 pesos for adults, but children under 13 and seniors are free. Admission is free for everyone on Sundays.

About Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo are perhaps two of the most well-known artists to come out of Mexico. It is perhaps no coincidence that the two geniuses would find themselves caught in a passionate web of love, art and fiery drama. Diego Rivera was born in 1886 in Guanajuato City, Mexico. When he was born, he came out of the womb along with his twin brother. Sadly, his brother Carlos died two years after they were born. Twins have this unspoken, deep, almost soulful connection with each other and this loss so early in Diego’s life perhaps touched the young boy with trauma and pain that it seems many infamous artists carry with them. Diego started to draw at only three, just after his brother died. Perhaps as a means to express his grief.

Mexican Muralism

His talents only grew from then, and at the age of ten, he went to study art at the San Carlos Academy of Fine Arts in Mexico City. Rivera travelled to Europe after flourishing at the school in Mexico City. It was there he would refine his unique style of painting under the influence of modern artists like Pablo Picasso and looked to the works of Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse for inspiration. Rivera returned to Mexico City in 1922 as he had been commissioned by the government to head up their new muralism program. The project was created to promote aimed to National pride through murals that told the history of Mexico that even the working class, illiterate masses could interpret.

About Frida Kahlo

While Diego was painting murals all over Mexico City, Frida Kahlo was just a young girl with her own struggles. Frida was born in 1907 in Coyoacan, a small neighbourhood just outside the centre of Mexico City. Similar to Rivera, Frida had her own ordeals early on in life. She was afflicted with polio at only six years old. This meant that her right leg would always be shorter and thinner than the left, a disability that would affect her for the rest of her life.

But Frida never let this illness defeat her spirit despite being kept isolated at home at such a young age. She looked up to her artistic father, who was a famous photographer, and it was him that inspired her to start painting. While at home, her father taught her things she would never learn so early in school, everything from philosophy, literature and, of course, art and photography. When she went back to school, she flourished, as learning was something that truly excited her.

The Bus Accident

But just as her life was taking off once more, she was hit, literally, by another setback. On her way back from school on the day, in the centre of Mexico City, just a few blocks from where Rivera was painting, the bus she was riding on was hit by a streetcar. A large iron handrail pierced her pelvis, broke her spine in three places and crushed her right leg, as well as a litany of other injuries. She stayed in the hospital for months and had to be put into a plaster corset to aid her spine and chest bones in healing. This meant months of bedrest with nothing to do. Nothing to do but paint. Once more, her father encouraged her to turn her pain into art. Despite these life-altering incidents, she responded with the same vigour for the life she refused to lose despite these accidents.

Frida and Diego’s Marriage

After recovering, Frida discovered the thing she wanted to do for the rest of her life, and that was to paint. She was insistent on becoming the best painter she could be, so she sought out the advice of the greatest Mexican painter she knew, Diego Rivera. Rivera was immediately taken aback by this energetic and bold girl and her obvious talent. Despite being married already (to two different women), Frida and Diego started a relationship. They would be married in 1929 at a wedding her parents entitled “the marriage between an elephant and a dove.“

The couple were immediately taken out of Mexico City and moved to the United States. Rivera had to paint several commissions in San Francisco, Detroit, and New York for the famous Rockefellers. But they knew they would return home to Mexico City and wanted a beautiful hacienda to come back to. This is where their friend, architect and artist Juan O’Gorman would come in!

Juan O’Gorman

O’Gorman had been studying functionalism, inspired by the Swiss designer Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier. O’Gorman was enthusiastic about bringing this modernist style to his home in Mexico City. He saw Mexico City as being a hub for modern thinking and exquisite architecture. The old Hacienda Goicoechea, now the famous San Angel Inn, had sold off the large expanse of their land to become residential housing. O’Gorman loved the neighbourhood and purchased the land currently being used as the tennis courts of the nearby hotel. 

Modernist Architecture

O’Gorman had plans to turn these two plots into the first modernist home in Mexico City. But when he displayed his plan it was very controversial. Most homes here are super traditional, fitting into that 18th century colonial style, and this new modernist vision wasn’t an appealing sight to the neighbours. But despite them turning their noses up at this new technique, O’Gorman solidered on. He built one home as a proof of concept. This home still stands today as the Museo Casa Estudio’s guest house.

Functionalism

Functionalism was a style defined by buildings that were designed around their purpose and function and revolted against excess decoration that didn’t serve a objective. In many European functionalist buildings, glass, steel and concrete were essential elements in their construction. In Mexico, in addition to these materials, O’Gorman wanted to incorporate clay and natural plants into the buildings. Instead of building fences out of wood or wrought iron, he planted rows of tall cacti along the roadside. These elements were native to the environment and followed the functionalist ethos. He would use other plants to create borders that looked almost like they had naturally grown up around the house.

Another element significant in functionalism is using practical elements as expressive decoration. A great example of this is the exposed helicoidal staircases that swirl up the sides of the houses. The stairs are a means of access and yet bring an interesting spacial element to the house’s exterior. Water tanks and drainage pipes also provide dynamic structural details around the house. These were all painted a contrasting orange colour and created this framing effect. Instead of looking too industrial, they manage to have their own architectural charm. But they are, in fact, used for rainwater drainage so are not just ornamental.

Diego’s house features a saw-tooth roof design. This design, while it might look decorative, is actually used to allow natural light into the interior while blocking out the heat of direct sun exposure. This was a technique popular inside industrial factories as early as the 16th century, before electiral lighting could be used to illuminate the interiors. It remains today as one of the most ingenious techniques to bring natural light into the interiors.

Designing the Casa Estudio

When Diego and Frida saw what O’Gorman had created, they quickly decided to purchase the entire property and commissioned him to build them twin buildings. Each one would act as both a residence and a studio, unique to each artist. The two buildings were designed as a pair but also as two oppositional designs. Tied together through the consistent elements of functionalism and a bridge that brought the building together at the top.

Diego’s studio is painted off-white and rust-red. Simple, natural colours. On the other hand, Frida’s studio is painted the same ethereal cobalt blue as her Casa Azul. Both studios feature floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the interior spaces an indoor/outdoor feeling. But are protected from the elements, meaning you can paint inside while feeling like you’re out en plein air. The ideal of these twin structures is eerily similar to Diego and his brother Carlos. Connected together despite the fates of their lives going in two very different directions.

Life inside the Casa Estudio

Construction on the houses ended in 1932, and the couple moved in 1934. Diego and Frida lived here from 1934 to 1939. In 1939, they divorced, and Frida moved home to Casa Azul. Diego kept the house and continued living and painting here during their separation. After their divorce, the couple actually got back together, only 9-months later. But even after this reconciliation, Frida preferred to remain in the Casa Azul.

After Frida’s passing in 1954, Diego would continue to live in the studio house full time. He treasured his time in his home until his death on November 24, 1957. Rivera died in his studio, and his body remained there as friends and family came to sit vigil inside to mourn the loss. After this, his body was moved to the Palacio de Bellas Artes for his grand state funeral. 

Studio as Museum

After his death, Diego’s daughters inherited the houses. When they moved in, their went about drastically changing some of the most iconic aspects of the house and making many ugly additions. They removed the cacti and installed a stone fence. They also demolished the bridge that connected the buildings, one of the most important aspects of the house. Years later, the houses were gifted to the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes to be enjoyed by the public. Restoration began in 1995 to bring back the original nature of the homes and preserve their architectural value. All the additions and fencing were removed, and the house seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Exterior Foyer

One of the most wonderful things about functionalist-style houses is that they sit on stilts. These stilts are called pilotis, slender columns that support an upper level. When you walk into the property, the entire exterior courtyard feels like an open-air foyer. But with wonderful shaded areas under those upper levels to escape the sun’s heat (essential in Mexico City!) This open air foyer really exposes the incredible landscape architecture that O’Gorman created around the property. It feels like a gorgeous garden floating below.

Another enchanting thing to study while walking around the exterior are the exposed staircases. The spiral staircase which curls its way up the side of Diego’s studio is a wonderful geometric cement column contrasted against the solid red walls. The stairs almost have this musical-like curvature that flows out of the house.

The only exterior staircase in Frida’s house leads from the second-floor studio up to the rooftop. She would use this pathway to cross the thin bridge which connected to Diego’s house. Especially considering her frail condition and problems with her legs, it’s impressive she would brave such a dangerous-looking crossing. Especially when it originally was designed without any handrails!

The Bathrooms

Standing in the coutyard, you’ll see a smaller blue building, set behind Frida’s house. It looks almost like a minature version of her studio. Today, this tiny structure houses the public washrooms that visitors can use during their stay. Although you might think this was an addition when the museum was built, this building is original! It was designed by O’Gorman as a photography studio meant for Frida’s father. Even now, just as then, nothing is wasted. Functionalism reigns eternal.

Diego’s House

You enter Diego’s House first, via the exterior spiral staircase. The large, mostly empty room you enter on the first floor was used initially for Diego to display the artworks he had up for sale. His personal art gallery. Today, the space houses just a few remaining pieces from Diego’s collections of Pre-Columbian artifacts. Today the majority of his collections are housed in the Museo Anahuacalli.

During their marriage, the Museo Anahuacalli was a pipe dream of both Rivera and Kahlo. They both adored collecting these precious pieces of Mexican history and wanted to share them with the public. Rivera had started construction on this project just before his death. But it was O’Gorman who would see it through as the chief architect in charge of achieveing Rivera’s vision. Much of Rivera’s muralism was influenced by these pre-Columbian figurines. In Rivera’s art we can see the intense facial expressions and powerful geometric shapes reflected in these figurines.

2nd Floor Bedroom

Head back up the stairs, either using the smaller interior staircase or the outer curved stairs. The second level is where we find the painter’s studio and bedroom. The little room you’ll see upon entering is Rivera’s tiny bedroom. In functionalist buildings proportions of bedrooms were much smaller than we would expect. This was because they were seen as rooms only used for sleep and therefore didn’t require a great use of space. This preserved more capacity in areas like the studio which was where the artist spent most of his time.

Plus, the painter wasn’t a fan of sleeping unless it was with women. The room is designed to have only a tiny row of windows along the ceiling. This allowed only a small amount of light to flow inside. This meant the artist could get some sleep no matter what time of day.

The room is still laid out like it’s awaiting the return of it’s owner. Diego’s shoes are sitting on the floor as if he is about to get out of bed. Besides this, there are also his bedpans left here since his death. Atop the bedframe is Diego’s suitcase, as he was a world traveller. On the bedside table, you can also see a collection of his keychains and wallets. All the while the room is watched over by a series of papier-mache figures.

Diego’s Studio

Stepping from the hallway, make your way into the great studio. Immediately you’ll be overcome by the light that pours into theroom from the double-height windows on the north wall. From inside you can also study the effect of the saw-tooth roof windows that fill even the ceiling with light. Diego’s studio is bursting with natural energy. The trees on the other side of the windows almost look like they’re growing inside the house. The separation from indoors to outdoor is only a thin veil in here.

The studio still contains the original brushes and pigments which Rivera used to make his murals. They sit beside his easel like he is about to walk back into the room mid-painting. The painting on the easel is a portrait of Dolores Del Rio, a famous Mexican actress. Diego once said of Del Rio;

The most beautiful, the most gorgeous of the west, east, north and south. I’m in love with her as 40 million Mexicans and 120 million Americans who can’t be wrong.

Diego Rivera

Books, artisan ceramics and pottery, and little curios line the green painted shelves at the back of the room. Glass jars are silhouetted against the window panes. Inside powdered pigment still sit, waiting to be turned into paints. Diego’s studio really feels like a highly intimate space. Each one of the objects was bought by Diego as they caught his eye or gifted to him by a friend and lovingly put on display to be treasured. One of the most interesting decor found on the shelves is a copy of Diego Rivera’s death mask. Allowing him to still watche over all those and anyone who enters.

Judases

Filling the corners of the studio are these huge papier-mâché figures. Images of devils, skeletons and expressive people lean against the walls like inanimate puppets. These are called “Judases” and are popular formed of Mexican folk art. They were originally created as a part of the celebrations before Easter. The figures were made to look like the image of Judas, the Traitor. They would then take this resemblance of the great betrayer and set him on fire, to rid the world of his evil spirit. As years passed and the tradition became more popular, the figures began to take the forms of other, also unfavourable people or things. This could be anything from images of devils, demons, politicians, criminals and, in some cases, even disliked shopkeepers. Today the papier-mache dolls are stuffed with fireworks and blown up on the street. Much to the enjoyment of the onlookers.

But Rivera didn’t blow them up. Instead, he kept them as souvenirs of the local artisans. Although the simple craftsmen who made them might not have seen them as high art, Diego saw these as treasures to keep forever. Their highly expressive faces now look out over visitors from all studio corners.

Mezzanine

Walking back up the stairs, you enter the small mezzanine that looks over the studio. A small table between the two chairs is set in the corner, the perfect place to relax and watch the great painter at work. On the table is a portrait of Diego’s beloved, Frida. One can imagine this would have been where Frida herself would have stood to look down on her husband after coming over from her side of the house. Sometimes finding him hard at work…and other times, and sadly so, in the throes of passion with another woman, much to her dismay. In fact, it may have been right here that Frida discovered Diego cheating on her with her younger sister Cristina. There is no doubt that this house was a place of intensity from all angles.

The mezzanine is also home to Rivera’s office, just in the corner, beside the door to the rooftop. His green leather desk features a old phone, a typewriter and more pre-Colombian art covering the walls.

Rooftop

From the small office, you step out onto the rooftop, the neighbourhood of San Angel opening up all around you. During the Springtime, the purple flowers of the Jacaranda trees light up the skyline.

The Bridge of Diego and Frida’s Love

Although Frida and Diego had a passionate relationship, this firey love also resulted in both positive and negative intensity. When things were good, they were great, but when it was bad, it was very, very bad. So for both their sakes, having a separate working space where one could get away from the other was imperative. But the two buildings are connected by a large bridge on the top. O’Gorman named the bridge “the bridge of Diego and Frida’s love.” A symbol that, at the end of the day, they still found a way to come together and connect. Even when things were dire.

A narrow bridge connects the two buildings, the red-painted railings all you have to hold onto as you cross over. While Frida’s staircase has been closed down, too dangerous for the public to continually cross, you can imagine how the two lovers must have met up here to look out over the city and take in the night air. Even today the rest of the buildings in the area remain at a lower level to the rooftop of the Museo Casa Estudio, making you feel like you have this private oasis all to yourself.

Frida’s Studio

To get into Frida’s studio, you need to walk back down to the courtyard and enter on the ground level. Sadly, there is not much to see inside Frida’s house. Much of what once existed here has been moved to the Frida Kahlo museum in the Casa Azul. If you’re interested in learning more about the life and art of Frida Kahlo, you should definitely check it out, just over in Coyoacan. But there is one reason to go into the house: see the bathroom on the second floor. Sounds odd but stay with me!

What the Water Gave Me

This is where Frida lay when she was inspired to paint “What the Water Gave Me” in 1938. Like toys in a child’s bathtub, Frida painted the images that swam in her mind on top of the water. Memories of her life float around her; the only slice of reality is the cast iron bathtub framing the scene and her little toes sticking out of the water. The bathtub which inspired this scene can still be found in the house. If you’re a bather like me, you’ll know sitting in the bath really is where the imagination comes alive. It’s the best place to sit and think. Shower people will disagree with me I’m sure, but for me, a bath is a perfect way to relax and reflect. And it seems like Frida agrees.

The O’Gorman Guest House

The third large building on the property, located slightly below the other two homes, was the couple’s guest house. It was here that family and friends could stay in their own private apartments. But when the house was being built, it was used almost as a test for O’Gorman’s vision. To separate this house from the main studios, you’ll see another line of cacti fencing and steps leading down, surrounded by lush agave plants.

Construction on his house started in 1929, two years before the dual studio. The most impressive part of the building is the study on the first floor. Three of the four walls inside this part of the house are covered in floor-to-ceiling glass panels. And in fact, the entire glass wall opens up like a giant window. It’s pretty dangerous by today’s standards, as you can just walk right off, but what an impact it makes! The windows open up the space, and it feels like you’re floating in the air. The panels of glass are slightly more opaque on the lower four panels to give some privacy to the interior while still filling it with light.

The exterior ground level connects to the study via a wide-sweeping spiral staircase. Once more, without handrails. Looks gorgeous but can’t be very practical. A more private (and safe for visitors) internal staircase takes guests inside the private spaces which contain a small bedroom, bathroom, dining room and kitchen.

Dining Room Mural

One of the other exciting things to study here in the house is the remnants of the dining room mural that was once painted onto the walls. The mural was called “There is quite a difference between philosophy and science,” painted by O’Gorman. It depicts a stunning and vibrant Mexican landscape dotted with images of science and industry. On the left of the frame, there is an image of a fragile skeleton. This is juxtaposed with a beautiful naked Mexican woman who sits opposite. She sets aside a cup bursting with gorgous fresh fruits. The message is that one must have progress to flourish and grow. Otherwise, you will wither and die, like the old skeleton.

The fresco was only discovered in 2012 when a restoration team found traces of the original mural. When the house was sold off after Diego’s death, the mural was removed from the wall, purchased by the Banco Nacional de México for its private collection. Today you can see a photograph of the real painting beside the sketches found on the house’s walls. While I’m sure it’s well preserved in the bank’s museum, it would be more impressive to see it in situ here in the dining room. Maybe one day!

Thank you for joining us on this self-guided tour of the Museo Casa Estudio of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The Museo Casa Estudio is a wonderfully immersive space to explore, and I hope this guide helped you learn more about all the secrets hidden in plain sight. Let me know in the comments what your favourite discovery was!

Happy Travels, Adventurers

The post Everything you Need to Know About the Incredible Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo in Mexico City first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Since we can’t travel right now due to covid restrictions, I wanted to find new ways to ignite that wanderlust. Even from the comfort and safety of our home! So what better way to kick this series off than with my favourite artist: Frida Kahlo. Not only are these virtual tours a great way to entertain yourself at home, but they are also an excellent resource for future trips.

Explore Casa Azul

Truly one of my favourite places I have ever visited is the Casa Azul, in Mexico City. This gorgeous blue house, in the cozy neighbourhood of Coyoacan, is where Frida Kahlo lived as a child. It is also where she spent the better part of the end of her life. In Mexican culture, it is good luck to be born and die and in the same place. The Casa Azul is absolutely teeming with memories, influences, and the real spirit, which was Frida Kahlo. There is genuinely no better place to give you a more intimate exploration into your life than inside the Casa Azul.

During the summer of 2020, the Casa Azul Museum took it upon themselves to capture the Casa Azul in 360 degrees. With this new technology visitors from all over the world could explore the house room by room from their own home!

You can explore the entirety of the house, peeking into her kitchen, bedroom, studio and her absolutely magical garden. The virtual tour doesn’t come with any detailed information, so you can use our self-guided tour and follow along for a complete understanding of the significance of every object, painting and plant inside.

Virtual Walking Tour of Coyoacan

One of the most important places to study Frida Kahlo is in her home town neighbourhood of Coyoacán. Outside the heart of Mexico City, this little village was where Frida was born, grew up, lived, and eventually died. These streets were her playground, her studio and her home. It’s here you can get a glimpse into the life of the great artist. You can read more about Coyoacan here or take a virtual tour online.

Stream ‘Frida’

If you have never seen the 2002 biographical drama ‘Frida‘, starring Salma Hayek and directed by Julie Taymor, I would HIGHLY recommend giving it a watch! While the movie takes some liberties with her life, Julie Taymor went to great lengths to make the film look like it was plucked right out of the mind of Kahlo. Scenes contain such visually evocative sets and effects that they seem more like a moving painting than a film. Since the majority of her life was spent in Mexico, this movie takes you on a journey to the street of Mexico in the 1920s and 30s.

Watch the PBS Documentary

Suppose you are more interested in a documentary about Kahlo rather than a movie? In that case, you can watch this PBS special ‘The life and times of Frida Kahlo‘. While the special is a bit old, the fantastic personal photos they include are an intimate peek into her life and the information is unparalleled.

Explore the Appearances Can Be Deceiving Exhibit

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco hosted an exhibition called ‘Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving‘ in 2020. When the lockdown made it impossible for visitors to see it, they created a virtual tour of the exhibition. This allowed visitors from all over to the world to view the exhibition online.

In 2004, inside the Casa Azul, curators discovered a never before seen collection of Frida’s personal effects. Hidden inside a locked trunk were treasured items from her wardrobe, prosthetics, handmade jewellery, accessories, and also Frida’s personal photographs. The online video was directed by Benjamin Michel, an award-winning filmmaker specializing in cinematography. Because such care was taken in filming the exhibit, you really get an incredible experience of what it would be like to view it yourself.

Since many items found in the trunk were pieces of clothing, the close-up filming lets you see the smallest details and textures of the objects. Frida used clothing and accessories to create her image, which was also her armour. Her image is one of the most iconic things people associate with Frida. Even those who might not know what a painting of Frida’s might look like can easily describe her quintessential appearance.

Dive into the Faces of Frida

Google’s Arts and Culture department has gone to great lengths to create an online resource for art lovers. Although they have been working on these exhibits prior to lockdown, they amped up their curations to allow art lovers to get their gallery fix! Their collection of Frida Kahlo artwork, ephemera, personal objects and more is unmatched! Over 25 different museums collaborated to create this online museum collection. Their website allows the viewer to explore the myths and legends about Frida’s life and zoom in to every inch of her incredible works of art.

One of the exhibits collects both found photographs, sketches and works of art to tell her life’s story. One of my favourite online exhibitions explores Frida’s complicated and painful yet also beautiful, relationship with her body. Frida suffered from polio as a young girl. She then experienced a life-altering bus accident later in her teens, which left her permanently disabled. And yet all this fueled her love of painting as a means to express herself from the confines of a bed. Her pain and suffering throughout her life are one of the central themes of her artwork. Understanding the context of these works is a beautiful way to learn more about art and the artist.

If you have ever been interested in an in-depth guide to her thematic paintings, then check out the stories featured in the online gallery. These do a deep dive into the significance of the smallest aspects of her works of art. Her powerful and somewhat disturbing painting entitled ‘Henry Ford Hospital‘ has long been one of my favourites, and studying every last piece of imagery included gave me some beautiful insights I had never considered before!

Read a Book

Suppose you are interested in learning more about the artist but don’t want to commit to reading a lengthy biography. In that case, I cannot recommend picking up the book ‘Frida Kahlo: The Story of Her Life‘ by Vanna Vinci more! This gorgeously illustrated novel blends facts and history with dreamlike and surreal sequences. Vinci creates Frida’s dramatic, romantic, tragic and painful journey to life on the page unlike ever before. I cried reading this book and was amazed at how powerful it was. The illustrations inside are so evocative you’ll want to read it over and over again. The Mexican imagery makes you feel transported and is an excellent resource for your wanderlust!

Make Frida’s Food

Another great way to allow yourself to feel like you’re somewhere else other than inside your home is through food. If you’re like me, one of your favourite parts of travelling is getting to try traditional cultural cuisine. Frida Kahlo LOVED to cook. She portrayed food consistently throughout her paintings. Her friends and family love to talk about how she adored holding raucous dinner parties inside the Casa Azul. We actually have a lot of knowledge about the kinds of foods Frida cooked. In the book ‘Frida’s Fiestas‘, her stepdaughter created a storylike cookbook. It was made from her memories as well as personal accounts from friends and mementos from Frida’s scrapbooks. This book will take you on a journey through Mexican cuisine and is bound to ignite your inner chef!

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The Art Assignment by PBS Digital Studios has a beautiful video online all about Frida’s cooking. It even takes you through making some of her iconic recipes and explains why food was so important to Frida.

Experience the Wonders of Xochimilco

A place that was sacred to Frida was Xochimilco. Xochimilco and the surrounding Aztec waterways were where Frida and her friends would go to escape the city. A famous photo of Frida on a boat along the Xochimilco canals shows her dipping her hand into the water. She felt at home here, a place to run away from her dramatic marriage, her pain and even perhaps, herself.

Today it’s a vibrant neighbourhood where you can experience the same journey Frida would have taken. There are so many videos online which take you through these wonderfully colourful canals. With a Mezcal in hand at home, you’ll feel like you’re really there!

I hope all these resources gave you a great start to exploring the world of Frida Kahlo from the comfort of your own home. And even if we can’t get out there and travel right now, we can still ignite the spirit of adventure.

Happy At-Home-Travels, Adventurers

The post 9 Amazing At Home Frida Kahlo Travel Experiences first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

You’ll visit not only her famous residence, Casa Azul, but also explore a multitude of other significant places. These spots were essential in the formation of her identity and connection to her Mexican heritage. If this is your first time visiting Mexico City, this tour is an excellent method of discovery. Many of her famous locations are located in the heart of neighbourhoods with a variety of other popular attractions.

Tour Itinerary

This tour is divided up into four different sections, each one focusing on a particular area of Mexico City. While it might not be the most chronological journey, it allows you to explore different neighbourhoods around Mexico city cohesively. While a chronological life tour would be better in terms of following her journey, it requires bouncing all over the city. Especially for those who are on a tight schedule, that’s not the best use of your time.

The three different neighbourhoods are the Coyoacán, Historic City Centre, and Xochimilco’t. You can easily add these spots to your existing itinerary. I would advise to only tackle one neighbourhood at a time. Don’t try to fit it all in one go. The last section is a list of museums. These museums will help you get a deeper understanding of Mexican culture, insights about Frida, and art in Mexico. Since these places were not locations Frida really visited they are not part of the essential tour. Although they do add a lot of contextual information if you’re interested in that kind of thing.

Below is a map of the entire walking tour. I have broken up the neighbourhoods into separate maps for easy-to-follow directions.

Frida Kahlo in Coyoacan

1. Tour Itinerary
2. Frida Kahlo Museum
3. Coyoacan Market
4. The Casa de Cortes, Casa Municipal
5. Cantina La Guadalupana
6. Parroquia San Juan Bautista
7. Frida Kahlo Park
8. La Escuela de Pintura y Escultura
9. Jardín Centenario
10. Casa de Cultura Jesús Reyes Heroles
11. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's House-Studio
12. Former College of San Ildefonso
13. Biblioteca Pública 
14. Secretaría De Educación Pública
15. Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral
16. The Palacio Nacional
17. Avenue 5 de Mayo
18. Garibaldi Square
19. Palacio de Bellas Artes
20. Alameda Central
21. Museo Mural Diego Rivera
22. La Ciudadela
23. Xochimilco Canals
24. Museo Dolores Olmedo
25. Templo Mayor Museum
26. Museum of Modern Art
27. Museo Nacional de Antropología
28. Mexican Art Gallery | GAM
29. Museo Franz Mayer
30. Museo Anahuacalli

Frida Kahlo Museum

La Casa Azul or “the blue house“, located on Londres Street in Coyoacán once belonged to Frida’s father, Guillermo Kahlo. It was here where she was born. She grew up inside these walls. It was the place where she suffered from illness but also flourished as an artist. Eventually, Frida bought the house from her parents and lived with her husband, Diego. They got divorced and remarried all within these blue walls. And ultimately, it was the place where she would pass away. It was her sanctuary but also her cage. She spent more years inside these walls than perhaps anywhere else in the world. As such, it is one of the most intimate looks into her life that you can experience.

The museum is less of a simple art gallery and more like an inside look at her private world. Although there are a few paintings from both artists, the main focus of the Casa Azul is the couple’s Mexican folk art. They collected pre-Hispanic artifacts, photographs, memorabilia, personal items, and more which is still on display. You feel a deep connection with Frida by literally walking in her footsteps. You get to see her inner sanctum and looking at the precious treasures she collected, which represented her passions, her wishes and her dreams. To learn more about the Casa Azul take my self guided tour!

Coyoacan Market

South of Frida’s house is the Coyoacán Market. This market has stood here for decades, and if you look at the roofline, you’ll see that it’s actually more than one building, pieced together. Both Frida and Diego Rivera would come to shop for their famous dinner parties held at the Casa Azul. Frida loved to cook, and there are countless recipe books out there that details her favourite recipes. At one time, she was quoted as saying,

“We could not have a child, and I cried inconsolably, but I distracted myself by cooking, dusting the house, sometimes by painting…”

Frida’s Shopping List

Frida would come to these brightly coloured corners of the marketplace to shop for her favourite ingredients, chat with her local shopkeepers and wander around to get inspired for her next creation. This marketplace feels a little more laid back and less modern than some of the ones in the inner city. Exploring it feels like more of an authentic experience to the one Frida would have had herself. Make sure you ask about the mole paste they sell here. Mole was one of Frida’s favourite things to cook and eat, and there are countless varieties here you can buy and taste! See which one if your favourite and bring some of the powdered version home with you to make in your own kitchen!

The Casa de Cortes, Casa Municipal

The Casa de Cortes, on the north side, of the Plaza Hidalgo was where the seat of government was held for many years. And it was here that Frida and Diego were married. Frida’s parents were not a fan of Diego…to say the least. Diego had already been married twice, and his reputation as an unfaithful husband wasn’t a big secret around town. He was also 21 years older than 22-year-old Frida. Her parents protested and begged Diego not to marry her, but the love birds could not be swayed. Her parents referred to the union as a “marriage between an elephant and a dove” since Diego was over 300 pounds, and due to her illnesses, Frida was only a petite 98 pounds.

Frida and Diego’s Marriage

The two were married on August 21st, 1929. Their marriage in city hall was presided by the mayor of Coyaocan, and their witnesses were a hairdresser and homeopathic doctor. Frida wore only a long skirt and simple blouse with a rebozo (shawl) wrapped around her shoulder. She would often wear these in the same way that female revolutionaries wore them during the 1910 revolution when women used the scarves to smuggle guns past government checkpoints. Diego was dressed in a plain grey suit, accessorized with a Stetson hat and a Colt revolver. After their short ceremony, they retreated to their good friend Tina Modotti’s house where the raucous reception was held.

It was recorded that after the wedding, during their reception, Diego took the colt revolver and shot it off aimlessly in a drunken stupor. Frida was none too pleased at this childish behaviour, and it would be the first signs of trouble in paradise for the couple.

Cantina La Guadalupana

Just down the street from the Casa Municipal, you’ll find Frida’s old watering hole, Cantina La Guadalupana. Although the original cantina is now closed, you can still see the old signage out front marking the spot. The building is much unchanged from the days when you’d catch a glimpse of Frida’s richly coloured skirts in the window. The Cantina La Guadalupana was the couple’s bar of choice for drinking tequila under the dim lights and surrounded by bullfighting decor. Frida was quite the prolific drinker for her small size and other than tequila, she would love to drink pulque. Pulque is made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant, native to Mexico. It was a beverage which the ancients Aztecs invented and drinking it made her feel closer to those old gods.

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Parroquia San Juan Bautista

Across the park, stands the imposing shadow of the baroque church that Frida Kahlo attended while she was growing up, Parroquia San Juan Bautista. It is also called the Iglesia de Coyoacán as the church has become the central place of worship in Coyoacán. It was built between 1520 and 1552 and run by an old Dominican order. Over the years the church has changed its appearance from its original form. Renovations and fires continued to shape its evolution, but the current church is no less beautiful than all its predecessors. But surprisingly the choir, the Rosario Chapel and the main altar are still all entirely preserved from the original construction. The facade is a classical herrerian design with geometric rigour and an overall absence of decorations.

The interior, however, is covered in baroque gilded decorations, and mindblowing ceiling frescos of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, a fantastical work of Juan de Fabregat. The interior feels grand and yet, at the same time, very intimate. Frida would have come here as a child and prayed with her parents. You can only imagine how such a richly artistic place would have inspired young Frida’s mind.

Frida Kahlo Park

Seeing as the city is the place of her birth, it seems only right that Frida would have a park dedicated after her. Frida loved the outdoor, and although not everyone can afford to go into the Casa Azul’s garden daily, they can wake their way to Frida Kahlo Park to celebrate the great artistic legacy…or at the very least, walk their dog in a lovely setting. In the centre of the park, you’ll find two large, bronze sculptures of Frida and Diego. Frida is dressed in her classic Tehuana outfit, gazing over at Diego. This park has a very structured layout, the bushes around it perfectly pruned into geometric shapes, slightly resembling Aztec pyramids popping out in the background.

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La Escuela de Pintura y Escultura

Located on the east end of Coyoacán, is La Escuela de Pintura y Escultura. Frida began teaching here in 1942. She hoped that its close proximity to her house would mean she could easily commute to and from and continue to educate Mexico City’s artistic youth. She loved her students and teaching, but her leg was bothering her more and more and eventually, she couldn’t leave the house. Luckily, the students loved her as well, and the dedicated pupils would come to the Casa Azul, where Frida could continue to instruct them. She would always inspire her students to look to Mexican culture for inspiration, instead of being influenced by European trends. While Frida might not have taught here for a long time, the school grounds are a beautiful and inspiring place to explore.

Jardín Centenario

The Jardin del Centenario is the central greenspace in Coyoacan. It is marked by a gorgeous double archway which they call the ‘Arcadas Atrial’ or the ‘Arcos del Jardín del Centenario‘. The gardens were once part of the entrance to the old 16th century Parish Church of San Juan Bautista built during the colonial period. Stone pieces from the original building were woven onto either side of the archway. Take a closer look to see how decorative motifs from that period depict both European and indigenous influence.

This beautiful garden is also where you’ll find a fountain which contains a bronze sculpture of two coyotes, which refer to the borough’s name. The name Coyoacán comes from the Nahuatland word meaning “place of coyotes.” Today you’ll see the symbol of the coyote everywhere you look; on park benches, on street corners and even in flower gardens! On either side of the garden are lush Indian laurel trees which spread out to form a canopy over the walkway below.

Frida in the Park

This delightful park is where a place Frida would frequently come to stroll or celebrate during her life in Coyoacan. It was here where the city would hold parades, festivals and fairs. Diego Rivera’s daughters have written extensively about their time living with Diego and Frida in Coyoacán. They lived with them inside the Casa Azul for two years while they completed college. The Jardín CentenarioIn is featured heavily in their accounts as Frida loved to come there to ride carnival rides and march in parades on any day of festivity and would always bring Diego’s daughters with her. Although Frida could never have children herself, she mothered so many young people along the way, acting as a parental figure any time she got the chance.

Casa de Cultura Jesús Reyes Heroles

The Casa de Cultura Jesús Reyes Heroles is a cultural centre, free to enter and explore. The “House of Culture” was named in honour of the distinguished historian and political scientist, Jesús Reyes Heroles. The building was originally located on the property of an Izotitlán, meaning “izotes” which is a type of wild palm. Those palm trees still grow like wild all over the property. Just inside the entrance to the Casa is a sculpture of Frida and Diego sitting on a park bench, cast in bronze. You can take a seat alongside and get your picture taken with the famous couple. The house has existed here since 1780, occupied by a variety of different families. It’s no stretch to imagine that the previous owners would have welcomed the famous couple into their garden for a visit or a dinner party from time to time.

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s House-Studio

Farther west, just outside of Coyoacán in the neighbouring district of San Angel is Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s House-Studio. Frida and Diego had this building custom designed by their friend Juan O’Gorman. The studio was intended to be two separate buildings, connected by a bridge. A way of physically showing the differences between these two artists, who despite all odds, still manage to come together. Diego’s studio is painted off-white and rust-red. Simple, natural colours. Frida’s studio, on the other hand, is painted the same ethereal cobalt blue as her home in Coyoacán. Diego’s house features thin windows along the top of the walls. Frida’s features almost floor to ceiling windows, giving the interior space that indoor/outdoor feeling. The house is separated from the street by a perimeter fence which instead of being made from wood or wrought-iron, is made from stacking rows of tall cacti along the roadside.

Studio-House

The couple lived here from 1934 to 1939. In 1939, they got divorced, and Frida moved home to Casa Azul, leaving Diego to live full time, alone in the studio-house. Even after getting back together, only 9-months later, Frida and Diego kept the studio to use as more workspace. Today the interior of the studio features a lot of Diego Rivera’s work and decor, especially his collection of papier-mâché figures.

The Frida side of the house is pretty bare since most of her treasures moved over to the Casa Azul, but it is still interesting to view the architectural designs from inside. The best part of her studio to explore is her bathroom. It was in here that she was inspired to paint ‘What the Water Gave Me’ while staring down at her feet in the bathtub in one of her fits of depression. The very tub which is portrayed in the painting can be still seen today inside the studio. Frida also painted such iconic images as ‘The eye of the eye‘ and ‘The deceased Dimas’ while she lived at the studio-house.

Former College of San Ildefonso

We begin this part of the tour at the Former College of San Ildefonso. It seems very fitting to start the journey here since it was a place of so many firsts for Frida. This was where Frida first went to college in 1922. There she met some of her best friends, her first boyfriend and, most importantly, first met the love of her life; Diego Rivera. Frida’s father had the utmost confidence in his daughter.

Even after she had spent a good deal of her adolescence homeschooled, due to her polio, he still thought she was a genius. Her father decided to send her to this former Jesuit college, at much expense to the family. She was one of only 35 girls, out of 2000 students who went to the school. But she had always gotten along with boys almost more than she did with girls, so she flourished there. Frida would even be seen wearing men’s clothes to the college from time to time and embraced her more masculine side.

The Creation

At the same time, Frida was at school here, Diego Rivera has been commissioned to paint an enormous mural on the lecture room walls. The painting, called ‘The Creation‘ was Rivera’s first gigantic mural of this kind. It was commissioned by the Mexican government to educate the masses of people who couldn’t read but wanted to learn about history. The mural covers more than a thousand square feet and portrays mythological and religious motifs.

It was here when painting the mural that Frida first laid eyes on Diego. She would sneak in to watch him paint his nude models anytime she could. Diego, although married to Lupe Marin at the time, would frequently be found by Frida in the midst of making love to one of his models. She took it upon herself to even warn the artists if she saw his wife coming. Frida would mock and tease him as he worked, but he saw her as a charming little pest. She would go on and on about him to her friends, and despite their age difference, and would proclaim that one day, she would be his wife and have a child by him. Although the latter would never come to pass, who knew how right she would be about the rest.

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Biblioteca Pública 

Down the street from her college, we find the Biblioteca Pública where Frida would come to study. She would come here to meet up with her schoolmates the ‘Los Cachuchas‘. It was here they would discuss at length the politics of the day and plan their communist rallies. But the library was not just a place of learning for Frida. The library was also where she would spend hours falling in love with her first boyfriend, Alex Gómez Arias. In addition to Alex, she also met a gorgeous female librarian and had her first affair with a woman amongst these books. This relationship caused quite the scandal in the community but was her first foray into exploring her bisexuality.

Secretaría De Educación Pública

Just to the north of the school, is the spot of another one of Diego Rivera’s masterpieces. There are 235 panels in the Secretaría de Educación Pública featuring Diego’s favourite themes of blue-collar workers, and the glorification of all things Mexican. It was here while painting these murals in 1928 that Frida Kahlo would come to see Rivera once more. After her injury from the bus accident, she needed to find a way of making money for her family and art was always something which had interested her.

But Frida didn’t know if her artwork was skilled enough to become an accomplished artist. So she went to ask the one man she admired above all others and whom she knew would tell her the truth. She marched right up to him, her work under her arms, and asked him for an honest critique. He was flabbergasted at her brash attitude and charmed by her confidence. It looks him some time to recognize her as the little pest from years before, but it was here that perhaps Diego first fell in love with Frida.

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Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral

Frida’s mother was a fiercely religious woman. The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral was right beside where Frida would walk to school every day and as such a part of her daily life. Even though many of Frida’s paintings contain a wide variety of indigenous imagery, she was raised in a Catholic household. Elements of religious iconography can be seen in her pictures, especially in her studies of ex-votos. This church is a beautiful place to explore and discover different references you might compare to some of Frida’s famous portraits. The church itself was built after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.

The Spaniards decided to build their first church on the site of the Templo Mayor of the Aztec in the city of Tenochtitlan. Stones from the destroyed temple of the Aztecs were used to create the church. And although we now look upon the destruction of that ancient temple as something to morn, it is incredible to stare up at this church and see stones stuck throughout from over 1000 years ago. The construction of the Cathedral began in 1573 and took until 1813 to complete! The enormous cathedral is over 350 feet long and 200 feet wide. This makes it Latin America’s largest and oldest temple.

The Palacio Nacional

The Palacio Nacional or National Palace is an enormous building which stretches out across the Zocalo. While some of the Palace is still used for governmental purposes, the rest of the building is open to the public and filled with incredible gardens, murals, fountains and works of art. But the most meaningful Frida related piece in the palace is the mural by Diego Rivera entitled, ‘The History of Mexico’.

The mural features the history of Mexico from pre-Columbian ancient times to the 1930s. Rivera painted the mural between 1929 and 1935. Key events in the mural feature stories like the Spanish conquest, the colonial period, the Independence movement, and the 1910 Revolution. The right side of the mural is a chronological study of the indigenous Aztecs before colonization.

The left side of the painting is less chronological, featuring smaller groups of stories about Mexico’s Independence. Along the bottom of the mural on the left is the portrait of Frida Kahlo, her iconic monobrow making her easily distinguishable from the others. She looks over a young boys shoulder at his book and is seen wearing a necklace with the communist star. In front of her, dressed in a red, is Cristina, Frida’s sister, holding open a copy of the Communist Manifesto. Years later, Diego would have an affair with Cristina, so seeing the two women here together, years before these dramatic events would unfold feels slightly foreboding.

Avenue 5 de Mayo

Walk along Avenue 5 de Mayo, towards our next destination. While the pedestrian street Avenue Francisco Madero is more popular, I always find it’d packed with tourists and people hawking flyers. In addition to this, the stores are all American brands which don’t feel as authentic to Mexico City. Walking along the street, you’ll see that many of these shops are incredibly old.

There are dozens of stores along the way that Frida herself might have popped her head in while she worked in the city. During her adolescence, she would come into the historic centre to work both in her father’s studio or at other artists’ workshops. Frida worked as an artist apprentice in the city, where she had her first affair with a married man. All of this before the age of 18. These streets filled her life with passion, and that can be seen in her escapades.

Garibaldi Square

Plaza Garibaldi is known as the home of mariachi music. Throughout the day, you’ll find mariachi bands playing all over the square. Frida herself loved coming here. She would bring her friends and family here anytime there was a celebration or holiday. She adored dancing to the music and often took part singing songs with the band members.

NOTE: Due to it’s proximity to the dangerous neighbourhood of Tepito, this area should be visited with caution, during the daylight hours. In recent years the city has taken many precautions to help with the safety concerns including increased police presence and the creation of the Bellas Artes-Garibaldi Tourism Corridor. This corridor has improved street lighting as well as the addition of beautiful gardens and sidewalks in the neighbouring streets to help improve the appearance of the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Palacio de Bellas Artes

Palacio de Bellas Artes and its iconic rainbow stained glass roof are one of the most iconic images of Mexico City. The Palacio de Bellas Artes hosts events in music, dance, theatre, opera and literature and is therefore aptly named the “Cathedral of Art in Mexico”. The exterior of the building is primarily Neoclassical, but inside you’ll discover a plethora of Art Deco and Art Nouveau stylings. On the 3rd floor is Diego Rivera’s famous ‘El hombre en el cruce de caminos‘ (Man at the Crossroads).

This mural was initially painted for New York City’s Rockefeller Center in 1933 but torn down by Rockefeller when Diego refused to paint out the image of Lenin he had sneakily included. Frida’s life in New York City, following Diego around from commission to commission, was such a significant point in her life. Gazing upon this mural, albeit the second version of it, is still such a powerful connection to the couple.

Frida’s Funeral

When Frida Kahlo died, Diego arranged for her body to be laid in state at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The government agreed, only if they would make it an entirely non-political event. Diego agreed, but unbeknownst to him, one of her students came to pay their respects and after he did, threw a huge communist flag over her casket. The government threated to have her body removed, but Diego refused to let them. He said if they tried, he would carry her dead body in his arm and sit with her on the steps of the palace. Before she died, the last words she wrote in her diary read:

“I hope the exit is joyful – and I hope never to return”.

Alameda Central

One of Rivera’s most famous paintings is the fifty-foot fresco ‘Sunday walk through Alameda Park‘. The picture is currently in the Diego Rivera mural museum, but visiting Alameda Park is an excellent opportunity to take a walk inside of the painting itself. Alameda Park was Mexico City’s first city park and was built on the grounds of an ancient Aztec marketplace. Frida is painted into the mural, wearing the traditional Tehuana dress. She is holding in her left hand the Yin-Yang symbol, which represents duality. Perhaps this is the duality of life, or maybe Diego painted it as a reference to Frida’s dual personality.

Frida is resting her hand on young Diego’s should, like a mother protecting her young one. You can imagine how many times Diego and Frida would have come to this park together, to paint and to relax. Take some time to walk around and even buy some street food snacks to enjoy under the Jacaranda trees which bloom bright purple in the springtime.

Museo Mural Diego Rivera

If you’ve visited the real Alameda Park, then it’s a treat to then see the mural of, ‘Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Central’. Look how closely Diego captured its likeness and the personalities of the people in the park. Despite being called a museum, the Museo Mural Diego Rivera is more of a housing spot for the mural, but the admission is just over a dollar. Originally the mural it was located at Hotel Del Prado. After the devastating 1985 earthquake, the hotel was condemned. Luckily, the mural was saved (in pieces) and moved the museum where it was reassembled.

La Ciudadela

Another iconic destination on the tour of Frida’s Mexico City is to the La Ciudadela marketplace. While this market only opened up in 1968, Frida would have frequented markets like this many times throughout her life in Mexico City. Places like this would have been where she came to purchase folk art, traditional textiles and elaborate, locally-made jewellery. So many of the old Tehuana patterns and dresses which Frida was known for can still be found in marketplaces like this.

Because this market is so large, you’ll have the largest selection and artisans comes from all over the country. Oaxaca is the best place to buy textiles from so if you see signage saying the products are from there you know they’ll be top-notch. If you’ve visited the Casa Azul already, you can even buy replicas of her favourite objects since many of those folk pieces are still made in the same way today. It’s like shopping in a Frida Kahlo-themed store!

Xochimilco Canals

Xochimilco is the Venice of Mexico. In the southern district of Mexico City, you’ll find is over 170 km of waterways which spread out in all different directions. Before the Spanish arrived in Mexico City, the indigenous people had created an incredible network of canals. They used these channels for transportation and to supply water throughout the country. Xochimilco means “Floating Gardens” as it refers to the Aztecs creation of the chinampas. Chinampas are artificial agricultural plots, rich in minerals, that are grown in shallow lake beds. In Xochimilco, they were used to produce thousands of flowers which looked like they were floating in the water. After the Spanish invasion, they dried up many of the canals in the centre of Mexico City to make room for modern roads. But the channels in Xochimilco remained.

Frida adored her Mexican heritage and the colourful culture which Mexico is all about. Today, Xochimilco is the best place to bask in that colour and energy. Along the canals, you can listen to mariachi bands, call over boats with mobile kitchens to serve up fresh tacos or delicious elote. Paddling along the stream are artisans selling flower crowns that resemble the flowers that Frida herself would wear in her hair. Even here, her iconic image is prevalent. To learn more about Xochimilco read my full guide here >> 

Museo Dolores Olmedo

While in Xochimilco, make sure you make a stop at the Museo Dolores Olmedo Museum. The museum is located inside the grounds of an old 16th-century residence. In 1962, Dolores Olmedo bought the house. Dolores was a fierce collector of art as well as a lover of Mexican culture. It is no surprise to learn then that she old became the largest collector of private works of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. In 1994, her collection was transformed into the museum we now find today. Luckily, Dolores lived until 2002, so she was able to see this fantastic house converted into an art gallery for the public.

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Today you can explore gardens filled with exotic Mexican plants, magical peacocks and Xoloitzcuintles. Xoloitzcuintles are a dog breed which was once only thought it exists in mythical stories of the afterlife but is actually an ancient Aztec dog. Frida herself loved these dogs and owned multiple throughout her lifetime. Inside the museum, you can find such famous Frida Kahlo’s as ‘The Broken Column’, ‘Henry Ford Hospital’, ‘Self-portrait with Changuito’, ‘A few Piquetitos‘ and ‘Mi nana Nand Me‘. If there is a particular painting, you wish to see be SURE to check online as so often her pictures are out on loan, being shown around the world.

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Templo Mayor Museum

Mexican culture and history were so essential to Frida’s life. Although Templo Mayor wasn’t discovered until after her death in 1978, Frida would have loved to have seen this relic from the past unveiled. Today, you can visit the museum and see what archaeologists discovered; the remains of the Aztec temple which the Spanish destroyed on their conquest into Mexico. The 10-foot carving of the Mexican goddess Coyolxauhqui and the over 7,000 Mexica artefacts is an entire half days worth of discovery!

Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City has a stunning collection of 20th-century Mexican art. The most important being Frida Kahlo’s “The Two Fridas“. This painting is one of the most essential pieces in her oeuvre. It was painted after she divorced Diego and depicts what she saw as her two different personalities. The one on the left is dressed in traditional Tehuana costume, with a broken heart, her blood spilling out on the white of her dress. This Frida’s makeup is done, her lips painted deep red and rouge on her cheeks.

The Frida on the right is dressed in a more modern outfit. She is the independent Frida, whose heart is not broken and who can take on the world without Diego. But the two exist together, shattered and complete, heartbroken and confident. I love this painting as I feel it is so poignant to all of our lives and how we can be all things at once. Strong and weak, shy and loud, brave and scared. You don’t need to commit to one thing alone, we are complex beings, and this painting is a beautiful interpretation of that.

NOTE: Before visiting, be sure to check the website to see if the painting is on loan to another museum. Since this is the only piece of Kahlo’s inside the museum if you’re going expecting to see that and it’s on loan I know how disappointing that might be. So checking in advance is super important!

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Museo Nacional de Antropología

Throughout her life, Frida would often refer to “being the daughter and Mexico“. Her mother was unable to breastfeed young Frida, and so she was breastfed by her indigenous wetnurse. This is an image Frida has painted in a myriad of artworks. Frida always thought that by feeding on the milk of her country, she absorbed the cultural roots of her heritage from the minute she was born. Visiting the National Anthropology Museum is a window into the pre-colonial history of Mexico and those roots Frida so often referred to. The museum is also filled with many indigenous artworks as well as some of Frida and Diego’s student’s artwork they helped inspire.

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Mexican Art Gallery | GAM

Inés Amor founded the original Mexican Art Gallery in Mexico’s City in 1935. This was where Frida’s first art show in Mexico would take place. She exhibited her artworks during the inaugural International Surrealist Exhibition in 1940 with her painting ‘Las Fridas‘ (The Two Fridas, which is now at the Modern Art Gallery of Mexico). Even though there are no longer any of her pictures hanging on the walls, this is still an extraordinary place to visit. The gallery was the first to recognize the talents of Frida Kahlo professionally, and they are doing the same thing with current, contemporary Mexican artists today.

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Museo Franz Mayer

The Franz Mayer Museum is one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in Mexico City. It also houses a wonderful personal art collection from collector Franz Mayer. Here you can find over six centuries of objects he took great care in collecting throughout his lifetime. These collections feature ceramics, furniture, silver, sculpture, paintings and engravings.

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But there is also a room, called the Marguerite Rostan gallery, which highlights traditional Mexican textiles and costumes. The collection contains clothing from 14 different ethnicities such as Amusgos, Triquis, Chinantecos, Mazatecos, Nahuas from various places across Mexico. This acquisition represents and embodies an important contribution to the knowledge of traditional Mexican costumes. Many of these dresses are so similar to the ones Frida wore throughout her life. If you’re interested in learning more about traditional Mexican fashion, this is a great place to visit.

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Museo Anahuacalli

On your way to Xochimilco, you should stop by the Museo Anahuacalli. Your ticket into the Casa Azul actually also covers your entry into this museum as well, so you kinda get a two for one! The Museo Anahuacalli was another one of Diego Rivera’s homes. Diego and Frida were both fierce nationalists who loved their home country and wanted to preserve its history. Diego and Frida dreamed of opening their own museum dedicated to these objects. Sadly, in their lifetime, this dream never came to fruition. But after Diego’s death, his daughter took up the project and created what is now the Museo Anahuacalli. Architect, Juan O’Gorman who designed their studio, also designed this house as well.

The exterior of the house was made using black volcanic stone, taken from an old volcano in Mexico and the texture is something truly unique. There are over 50,000 pre-Hispanic pieces inside the museum. Some of these Diego would collect while he and Frida would travel to ancient Aztec pyramids outside of Mexico City. Each one of them was a piece of Mexico’s heritage, a heritage that inspired the work of Frida Kahlo and I know she would be proud to have helped in the creation of this museum which stands today.

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If you’ve made it all the way through this post, I commend you! There is so much in Mexico City to see in the footsteps of Frida Kahlo. You can easily adapt this tour to your personal interests or locations you’re already planning on visiting. Frida is one of the most exciting artists I’ve ever studied, and I loved writing and researching this tour, so I hope you have as much fun following it as I did in creating it!

Happy Travels Adventurers!

The post The Ultimate Guide to Following the Colorful Life of Frida Kahlo in Mexico City first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

It was her sanctuary but also her cage since for most of her life she was bedridden from injury and sickness. She spent more years inside these blue walls than perhaps anywhere else in the world. As such, it is one of the most intimate looks into her life that you can experience.

Self-Guided Tour of Casa Azul

1. Access
2. Hours
3. Tickets & How to Avoid the Lines
4. Frida's Neighbourhood of Coyoacán
5. Biography of Frida Kahlo
6. Frida and Diego
7. Start of the Self-Guided Tour of the Casa Azul
8. Touring the Exterior
9. Entry
10. Gardens
11. The Pyramid
12. Looks are Deceiving Exhibition
13. Sitting Room / Gallery
14. Dining Room
15. Diego's Bedroom
16. The Kitchen
17. Stairwell
18. Frida's Studio
19. Day Bedroom
20. Night Bedroom

Tickets & How to Avoid the Lines

Everyone seems to go on and on about the lines at Casa Azul. And yes, there are lines. But there are also lines at the Louvre, the MET and other famous museums around the world. There are lines wherever you find places which inflame the public’s imagination and curiosity to see what’s inside. So don’t be surprised, just be prepared. The best way to do this is by purchasing your tickets in advance. You select the date and time you want to arrive. When you get to Casa Azul you hop into pre-purchased ticket line (which is much shorter). Sometimes with your pre-purchased admission, you can just walk right inside.

Tickets cost 230 pesos ($12 US) on weekdays and 250 pesos ($13 US) on weekends. If you want to take pictures and some videos, you need to pay an extra 30 pesos ($1.50 US). Videos are not allowed inside but are ok in the outdoor areas.

Frida’s Neighbourhood of Coyoacán

Coyoacán is a small, quiet neighbourhood on the southern end of the city. It was once nothing more than a humble village but as Mexico City expanded, Coyoacán was absorbed into the megacity. The name comes from the Aztec word, which means “place of coyotes.” The streets are some of the oldest in Mexico City, full of colourful colonial architecture which gives it that bohemian feeling it became synonymous for. Frida’s father, an artist and famous photographer, found this quirky neighbourhood appealing. For more on Coyoacán check out my self guided walking tour!

Biography of Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo is one of the best-known female artists of the 20th-century. Her art is most notable for being full of ideas about sex, death, the body, gender, postcolonialism, class and race. All these ideas culminate in some of the most fantastic surrealist paintings which are anything but ordinary. Frida was born in 1907 inside the Casa Azul. The house was built by her father in 1904 and would be an emotional touchstone for young Frida. Both her mother and father had had some horrible events in their lives before Frida was born. Her father’s previous wife died in childbirth. And her mother’s ex-lover killed himself in front of her to profess his undying love. It’s impossible not to wonder how these powerful moments imprinted themselves into the family. Perhaps resulting in Frida’s ill-fated, yet extraordinary life.

Frida’s Early Health Issues

At a young age, Frida developed polio which resulted in her being bedridden for many months. It also left her with a severe limp and one of her legs being slightly shorter than the other. Being home all the time as a child meant she was around her father. She followed him around his studio, where she learned all about the creative process and how to compose a painting. She began painting and drawing under his watchful eye. Without any sons of his own, Frida became his creative successor.

He enrolled her in an art school in 1922, where she initially met Diego Rivera who was at the time, was painting a mural in the university’s auditorium. She was enthralled with him as soon as she laid eye on him and his art. She was so sure of him being one of her conquests that and would tell her friends she was going to marry him, even before speaking one word to the artist.

The Accident

One the way home from school one day, Frida’s was caught in a severe bus accident. A train crashed into the bus she was on, and it practically exploded on impact. Various people died instantly, and a few died in the hospital. Frida was left for dead, the ambulance refused to take her to the hospital as they assumed she would be dead before they arrived. But Frida was a fighter although her injuries would leave her disabled for the rest of her life.

She underwent over 30 different significant operations. The hospital staff thought she would never be able to get out of bed again. But by the end of the month, she was taking her first steps outside. Years of surgeries and recovery meant being confined to her bed once more. Her father made her a custom easel where she could paint in bed while lying down. She used this time to paint portraits of herself, as a way to comprehend the reality of what had happened to her. As her painting improved, and she was able to walk freely, she knew she had to help her family financially. Her operations had cost them greatly, and she needed to find out if she could make a career out of her art.

Frida and Diego

Frida went with various pieces of her artwork to get a critique from the famous Diego Rivera. When she met inside him, she claimed it wasn’t to flirt or get his attention. She wanted harsh criticism from the iconic artist and learn how she could improve. Diego was quite impressed by her artwork and was immediately taken with Frida’s bold personality. Frida was not your typical beauty. She embraced her more masculine characteristics. Frida had a monobrow and a bit of a moustache, but instead of hiding it or trying to remove it, she flaunted it. Some people said that she was one of the great beauties others found her almost hideous. It was this juxtaposition of opinions that Frida loved, using her sexuality as the great divider.

Frida and Diego’s Marriage

After only a short period of knowing Rivera, the two were married in 1929. Her mother and father roundly objected to the marriage, and so the two of them had a small, civil ceremony, presided over by only by a hairdresser and homeopathic doctors. Their relationship was fiery and passionate — each one is inflaming the creativity of the other. Diego encouraged Frida’s penchant for wearing traditional Tehuana dresses they both viewed them as the most authentic part of Mexican heritage. They became a kind of uniform for her, which she would wear for the rest of his life.

Frida and Diego moved into the family home, the Casa Azul, as her father was no longer able to afford to live there due to his declining career. Diego was at this point, a wealthy and well-known painter and could easily afford to keep the home in the family. Before they moved into the house, the house was painted s a rather dull colour. Frida and Diego made it their mission to repaint the entirety of the house bright blue, making their mark on this space.

Love Affairs

Diego was a womanizer, and despite Frida’s acceptance to their open relationship, she found herself overcome with jealously when Diego had an affair with her sister, Cristina. The news of their affair devastated her. Frida suffered numerous miscarriages and eventually was told by doctors due to her injuries from the bus crash she would never bear children. Painting became everything to her, and it was like her artworks became her children. Frida explored more and more images from her Mexican heritage. She said that Mexico was her great mother who raised her. As she became a painter in her own right, she was less affected by Diego’s affairs. In fact, she began having her own set of relationships with men and women alike.

The longest of her affairs was with famed photographer Nickolas Muray, with whom Diego was furiously jealous. Although Frida ended up divorcing Diego in 1939, they got remarried only a year later. It seemed that no matter what happened between these two, they could not be without each other. While it certainly was an alternative lover story, I found that to be the real charm of their relationship. It’s not perfect, it’s not a fairytale, but it’s real and laid bare for us to witness in her artworks.

Frida’s Death

Despite her blossoming career, Frida’s health began to decline. Eventually, her old injuries only worsened to the point where she had to have her right leg amputated. Her pain was almost unbearable, and she attempted suicide multiple times to escape it. Diego built for her a second floor to the Casa Azul where she could paint and work without having to leave the house.

She eventually was bound to her bed along and passed away on July 13th, 1954, at the age of 47 in that very bed. Her body was brought to the Palacio de Belles Artes in the historic centre of Mexico City where hundreds of mourners came to pay their respects. During her lifetime she was known as the wife of famed painter Diego Rivera. But today it is HER who has become a part of popular culture and art history. Diego gave the Casa Azul over to the government of Mexico City and it was opened up as a museum in 1958.

Start of the Self-Guided Tour of the Casa Azul

Touring the Exterior

If you have to wait outside before heading into the centre courtyard, take a minute to observe the outer exterior architecture.

“The house, painted blue inside and out, seems to shelter a bit of sky.”

Diego and Frida painted the house this bright blue colour when they moved in. Colour was of the utmost importance to Frida in her life and in her art. This vibrant azure was a hue associated with the feeling of freedom and expansiveness, like looking out on the eternal sea. And for a woman who was often unable to leave her own four walls, a feeling of freedom was the difference between sanity and madness. The house, built-in 1904 by her father, was built in a typical Spanish style of the age with a central courtyard surrounded by various rooms all on one level. The original exterior had a bit of French flair, but Frida removed all these gaudy elements in exchange for the primitive and simplistic decorations inspired by the indigenous people of Mexico.

Entry

As you walk in the main gates, under the giant floral ofrenda to Frida, you’ll pass under various of Frida’s papier-mâché alebrijes. Alebrijes are brightly coloured Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. They were originally created in 1930 by the artist Pedro Linares. Linares fell gravely ill and during his fever-induced hallucinations found himself dreaming of a strange forest full of wild and colourful creatures. He saw donkeys with butterfly wings, a rooster with horns and lions with the heads of eagles, all shouting the word, “Alebrijes“. When he recovered, he set to making the creatures out of wood to bring his visions into his reality. He was good friends with Diego and Frida, and she was inspired by his story and made some for herself. These somewhat terrifying creatures, now greet all guests who come through the doors.

Gardens

The first space you’ll enter is the lush gardens. Walking in here is literally a breath of fresh air! You can smell the blossoming flowers everywhere you walk, like a scented canopy. Frida made her gardens an almost sacred space. She took care of each and every plant very seriously, almost as if they were her children. She adored watching them bloom and grow. All the plants were harvested from all across Mexico, so it’s like a tiny snowglobe of Mexican horticulture in one place. You’ll find yuccas, bougainvilleas, cacti, jasmine and agave blooming throughout the year.

Across the walls of the courtyard are various pre-Columbian idols, as Diego loved collecting these treasures of Mexican heritage. He would go to the old ruins of Teotihuacan almost every weekend in his early life looking for artefacts he could bring home with him. The walls which supported the new second story, made by Diego and Frida, were created from lava rocks and embedded shells the couple found on the shores of the beaches of Mexico.

Frida’s Teaching Career

In this garden, Frida held classes for her students. She began teaching in 1943 at Las Esmeralda Art School, but she found it too hard on her disabled body to come to classes at the school in the centre of town. Her dedicated student, dubbed “Los Fridos” would come to La Caza Azul where she could mentor them under the shade of these great palm trees. Their time with the great artist in her intimate home was something that imprinted greatly on them.

The Pyramid

In the middle of the garden is a minature, red and yellow painted replica of an Aztec pyramid. This was built by Juan O’Gorman for Diego Rivera in 1946. The artist used materials like volcanic stones and basal to build the structure. Along the base of the pyramid are various replica ceremonial statues from places like Teotihuacan or Tulum.

Looks are Deceiving Exhibition

At the back of the courtyard is an exhibition room which contains some of the most personal items of Frida Kahlo. This exhibition is entitled, ‘Las apariencias engañan‘ or Looks are Deceiving. This exhibition features a treasure trove of Frida’s clothing, corsets, makeup and jewellery. All of these items were only discovered in 2004. When Diego handed the house over to the Mexican people for use as museum he asked that several bathrooms (which has been locked) were not to be opened until many years after his death. When they opened the doors, they were shocked to find all these iconic dresses which featured in many of the most famous portraits of the painter. 

Frida’s Dresses

Her Tehuana dresses have become the iconic image of the painter. And even I wished I could have taken a few copies of them for myself! Tehuana dresses come from the Tehuantepec Isthmus located in the southeastern part of Mexico in the region of Oaxaca. Oaxaca is known the world over as being the heart of the textile industry in Mexico. The woman of the area are seen as the dominant sex, and it is mainly a matriarchal society. As such, their dresses needed to reflect this power.

Frida wanted to be seen as Diego’s artistic equal and adopting these dresses, and their accessories made her feel closer to that powerful matriarch. The clothing also helped to cover up her legs which were affected dramatically by the polio and the right left which had to be eventually amputated. The white petticoats which peek out from underneath the dresses were not only beautiful but practical as they could be detached from the rest of the gown to be washed. Since these long dresses would drag on the ground, the ability to only wash this portion of the dress was very inventive.

The Corsets

The corsets are one of the rawest and most eye-opening portions of the exhibition. They show us just how much pain this beautiful artist must have been suffering through every day, even though she forced a smile. But Frida did not only hurt physically, she also suffered emotionally. Frida’s once said of her husband’s infidelity,

“I suffered two grave accidents in my life. One in which a streetcar knocked me down. The other accident is Diego.“

She used her clothing as a defence against feeling weak and small. Instead, these clothes were loud and powerful. And wearing them made her feel this way even if underneath she did not.

Frida not only had some of the most gorgeous dresses but she also adorned her body in lush jewellery, highly embroidered footwear, and expensive perfume. When she was recovering from her multiple surgeries her wounds would fester and to cover up the smell she relied on flower headpieces and perfume to mask the smell. Even in bed, she would always be seen wearing dozens of pieces of jewellery.

Sitting Room / Gallery

Entering into the house, you first pass through what was once the old sitting room, or living room as we call it today. Here Frida and Diego would entertain their famous guests such as Nelson Rockefeller, George Gershwin, caricaturist Miguel Covarrubias, and actresses Dolores del Río and María Félix. Today, this area is used as an introduction to Frida’s life through her work. Some people have been disappointed not to see more of her artwork in the house, but you just need to set your expectations. I came in not expecting to see any at all, so I was pleasantly surprised to be able to get up close to these pieces.

Portrait of My Father, 1951 

One of the paintings Frida made in 1952, just two years before her death, was a gorgeous dedication to her father. Her father also had his fair share of suffering throughout his life. He was an epileptic who had to leave behind his family fortune in his home country to escape the Nazis as he was a Hungarian-born Jew. 

Frida and the Cesarean, Unfinished 1931

This painting depicts Frida in the hospital in Detroit after her second miscarriage. In this vision, Frida is attempting to deal with the trauma of her second failed pregnancy. This is a dream which portrays what would have happened if she had been able to carry the baby to full term and deliver it by cesarean. The child lays beside her on the bed, the image of Diego looking down on her. She was never able to finish this painting. It was nothing but a lie and she prided herself on painting what she perceived as reality. Days later, she would go on to paint “Henry Ford Hospital” which depicted the real horror of the miscarriage as it truly was.

Still Life, 1942 

Frida was a woman who embraced her sexuality, and as such her paintings are full of sexual references and illusions. This still life was painted for the Mexican presidential residence but was returned to the artist most likely due to it being a little too vulgar for the upper class. The open papaya resembles the shape of a womb. To the left, we see coral fungus resembling the ovaries, and to the right, we have an open cherimoya fruit which resembles female genitalia. While some onlookers will see nothing but a bowl of fruit, Frida was tempting her audience to open their minds and their six senses.

My Family, Unfinished 1949

This painting feels like the most appropriate piece for the setting inside their family home. It’s a family tree with her grandparents at the very top. Underneath them are Frida’s parents and herself and her siblings on the bottom. A fetus is seen in the centre of the four children. This is her brother who died only a few days after his birth. But to Frida, he is still very much a part of their family even after all these years. Three figures are unfinished to the right of the frame. These are thought to be the children of her youngest sister Cristina with whom Frida had a tumultuous relationship with after Cristina’s affair with Diego. Perhaps the fraught relationship was the cause of Frida’s inability to complete their images on the family tree. Frida being too jealous of her sister’s ability to bear children when she could not.

Viva la Vida, 1954

This was the last painting which Frida would complete before she died. It is a still life of watermelon’s, which are a popular image in Mexican art. Watermelons are seen around Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) when the fruits are eaten by the dead who return to the land of the living. Although the melons are bright and colourful, there is a thread of ominousness in their use as it feels Frida is predicting her own demise. Eights days before she died she wrote these words upon the watermelons “VIVA LA VIDA – Coyoacán 1954 Mexico” (Long Live Life!). In her diary a few days before she died she would write,

“I hope that the exit is joyful, and I hope never to return”

Retablos

One of my favourite parts of the exhibition of her artworks were her retablos. These tiny votive images were created when Frida was living in Detroit. While Diego worked on his large Detroit Industry Murals, Frida occupied herself with these creations. During the time huge, political murals were all the rage, and yet Frida was creating small, religious images. Each one of these were painted onto small metal sheets. When the society as a whole was all about grandeur, Frida was creating miniature worlds you had to get close up to really understand. In a way, you needed to become more intimate with them, unlike the murals which you could understand from afar.

Judas Figures

Inside the next room are two towering figures in papier-mâché. These are mujeres bonitos or Judas figures from Tlatilco, Mexico. These “Judas” figures would usually be made of papier-mâché and filled with firecrackers that would explode on the Saturday before Easter. This tradition was thought to cleanse ones sins by burning effigies of that which represented evil. For Frida, she collected these effigies unburnt, perhaps as a symbol of sin unburdened.

Frida’s Diary

In the last room are letters, newspaper clippings and selections of Frida’s diary, all found in the house when it was turned over to the city. Reading these lines from her journal is like sitting down with the woman herself. So often we lean on interpretations to understand what an artist was thinking or feeling, but here we have the words right from her own mouth. Her life was so fraught with sadness, and yet there is a hypnotic magic to her scribblings. Even if you can’t read Spanish, looking at the furious way in which she wrote is a way of understanding her emotional state at the time. Critiques wrote of her diary,

“The diary is the most important work Kahlo ever did…it contains energy, poetry, magic. They reveal a more universal Frida…In Kahlo’s paintings, you see only the mask. In the diary, you see her unmasked. She pulls you into her world. And it’s a mad universe.”

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Dining Room

From the large sitting room, you step into the part of the house which has been preserved with all the old furnishings and decor that Frida had collected. The first room you enter is the dining room. The floors are painted bright yellow, almost neon! Most of the tables and chairs are painted the same colour to match, making them looks as if they grew out of the floor. Despite yellow often being associated with joy and cheer, Frida had a much different interpretation. She wrote in her diary, “yellow is associated with madness, sickness and, fear. It is part of the sun and of happiness.” To see this yellow spread all over her house feels like she was attempting to invite others to share in her madness.

On the walls of the room are various, bright yellow shelves displaying Frida’s precious collections. In the 20th century, Mexican folk art was very under-appreciated in fine art collections. But Frida and Diego always saw its value and cherished collecting these items to preserve, even if just for themselves, elements of their Mexican heritage.

Guests in the Casa Azul

Around this dining table the couple entertained guests such as André Breton (French writer, poet and anti-fascist), Tina Modotti (Italian photographer, model, actress, and revolutionary political activist), Edward Weston (American photographer), Leon Trotsky (Russian revolutionary, Marxist theorist, and Soviet politician), Juan O’Gorman (Mexican painter and architect), Nickolas Muray (Hungarian-born American photographer and Frida’s lover), and many others.

On the shelves, in the dining room, we find two ceramic clocks. The hands of the clock do not move but are fixed on two different moments in time. The one on the left bears the date on which Frida decided to divorce Diego after discovering he was having an affair with her sister Christina. The other has the time when Frida and Diego decided to get remarried. By having this out in the open it proves how honest they both were about the problems inside their marriage. Their issues weren’t a secret and yet, in the end, their love for each other, especially inside these walls, feels eternal.

Diego’s Bedroom

On the other side of the dining room, is Diego’s bedroom. This small guest room was also used by Leon Trotsky when he stayed in Mexico City after fleeing the Soviet Union. After he and Frida had an affair, he was quickly removed from the house by Diego. On the walls of the room, hang Diego’s painting overalls along with his iconic hats he was always seen wearing.

On the antique chair near the window is a small embroidered pillow with the words “Despierta Corazon Dormido” (Wake Up, Sleeping Heart) sewn in with rainbow thread. Words I’m sure Frida would whisper to her husband every morning upon waking him up for breakfast. Sitting on the dresser along the wall are various ancient Aztec sculptures along with Diego’s death mask. Around the room are multiple paintings, most of a highly sexualized nature, to reflect Diego’s passionate character.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most elaborately decorated rooms in the house. The kitchen floor is painted the same bright yellow with Azul and yellow tiles trimming the walls. Along the walls are hung a variety of utensils, and tableware Frida used when she cooked. Frida learned how to cook from, of all people, Diego’s ex-wife. Lupe (his ex-wife) knew all of Diego’s favourite recipes and how important food was to him. Despite Lupe’s relationship not working out, she found deep affection for Frida and wanted the best for their marriage. Along the wall are dozens of miniature clay mugs which spell out “Frida + Diego” over the old stovetop. The old stove was never modernized from its original design and Frida still cooked using the woodfire while she lived there.

On either side of the window are these same clay pots used to form the shape of two doves, tying a lover’s knot. It seems everywhere you look here there are symbols of love. They often say, a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Often we see the kitchen as a more utilitarian space but Frida made it a room which bursts with romance and love.

On her kitchen table are several vegetable-shaped clay tureens and terra cotta painted plates and pots. Nothing Frida used in her kitchen was mass-produced or “out of the box”. Everything was handmade and embellished with images of animals or traditional Mexican designs.

Stairwell

Moving from the first floor into the newly built second storey you pass through a small stairwell with sitting areas at the bottom. This tiny courtyard-like space is bursting with folk art objects, large paintings which crawl up the walls, taxidermied animals and some charming hand-painted pieces of furniture.

Frida’s Studio

Frida’s studio was built here because of her ever-worsening illnesses and disability. After the surgery to remove her leg, she found leaving her house to be very difficult. As such, Diego built this extension for her so that she could continue to work. The steel-framed windows are wrapped around the rooms to allow for light to pour in from the outside freely. From here, Frida could also look down into the garden, almost as if she was standing right in the middle of it. The blue of the walls on the exterior are so bright they reflects right into these rooms.

Painting Studio

Along the window is where Frida would work. She had a writing desk and an area for her easel where she would paint in her wheelchairs towards the end of her life. Today, her paints, brushes and pigments are all still laid out, as if awaiting her return. A mirror sits beside her workspaces, as she would frequently need it to paint the self-portraits she was famous for. She once said,

“I paint self-portraits because I am the person I know best. I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to and I paint whatever passes through my head without any consideration.”

Sitting on the easel in front of her wheelchair is a painting she never finished, entitled “Still Life With Flag“. Towards the end of her life, she didn’t have the same control over the brush as she once used did. Her refined techniques were not quite there but her craving to paint was unabated. The easel was actually a gift to Frida from Nelson Rockefeller who came to visit them in Mexico City before asking Diego to paint a mural for him in New York.

Book Collection

Along the walls of her studio are her collection of books. As a bibliophile, I spent way too long peering against the glass, trying to make out every single book cover and title. Kahlo, as expected, was obsessed with collecting antique books about Mexican culture and old atlas detailing the topography of the country. Inside the cabinets are also several precious items and souvenirs. When she was unable to walk, her friends would all come to visit her in bed. She would always ask them to bring something with them to remind her of the outside world. It helped with her connection to the world despite being so removed from it.

Cabinets of Curiosity

Hidden away in a cabinet are boxes and boxes of all the medications she had to take to deal with the pain she suffered from. In the cabinet are also dozens of bandages and other medical equipment. Here in her own house, it seemed like she had a mobile hospital of sorts. It’s truly incredible that in all this pain she could make so many beautiful things. I know when I’m ill I find it impossible to do almost anything. Truthfully, Frida has always been an inspiration to me during some of my more serious illnesses.

Thinking of all she managed to accomplish while suffering like she did would give me the strength I needed. On her walls of the studio is also a sizeable anatomical print of the “intra-uterine life of a fetus”. After Frida’s multiple miscarriages, she became obsessed with these images. Perhaps it was a way of processing what had happened to her. Like she was desperate to find meaning for her loss and that she wasn’t simply damned.

On the floor of this space, you’ll see several large colour trunks. These were what Frida’s clothing had been stashed away inside in those locked bathrooms.

Day Bedroom

Frida actually had two different bedrooms built for her in this space. A daytime bed and a night time bed. As the names suggest, one was made for sleeping, the other, for her to lie in while she convalesced. Frida’s bedroom was left much as it was the day she died. Her tiny, four-poster bed was installed with a mirror on top so she could still paint her own self-portraits without needing even to lift her head. You can see this mirror for yourself and picture her lying there, looking up at herself, wishing to be anywhere be there. On the walls at the foot of the bed, are a series of portraits of Lenin, Stalin, and Mao Tsetung. In the corner of the room are a pair of her old crutches.

As this was the bedroom where she would do her painting, there is still a side table with various paints and brushes at hands for her if inspiration would strike. On the wall, there is a small bookshelf with some of the books she was reading before she died. Above them a grouping of photos, one of which is a picture of herself taken by her lover photographer Nickolas Muray. Above her bed is a painting of what we can only assume is a dead child with a garland of purple poppies around the frame. Photo of children who past away were popular in the Victorian era, as a means of memorializing them. We can only assume who this child was to Frida. Perhaps it was a protector or the image of what she imagined one of her children to be if she had grown up even a little.

Death Mask

Sitting on her little daybed, wrapped in one of her favourite shawls, is Frida’s death mask. They change the shawls out throughout the year depending on the season, just as Frida herself would have changed her outfits up based on the time of year.

Night Bedroom

Her night bedroom feels a little more whimsical and, appropriately, dreamlike. Above the bed, looking down at her, instead of her own visage was a frame full of butterfly specimens given to her by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. When asked about her disabilities Frida would often respond, “Feet, what do I need them for? If I have wings to fly.” Up with the butterflies were also a series of hanging dolls. Perhaps Frida saw herself in these dolls, flying above the world with the butterflies.

On her bed is a pillow, embroidered like the one in Diego’s room, with the words “Do not forget me, my love.”

Across from her bed, on a laced-topped table, is a headless pre-Columbian urn which contains her ashes. The urn is in the shape of a toad, which was her nickname for Diego. Even in death, she is literally inside of him.

In her night bedroom is a large green cabinet containing an extensive collection of her childhood toys. Green to Frida represented “good, warm light” and perhaps her childhood (before her polio) was one of the most cherished times of her life. Against the wall is a tiny bench with Frida’s name and the year 1910 written upon it. It is one of the only pieces of furniture from the previous household which remains.

In the corner of the room is a green and white coat rack, with little flowers dotting the surround. Upon it is one of Frida’s extra headscarves. You can imagine Frida standing here in the natural light of the morning, putting on layer up layer of clothing, jewellery and perfume, her mask to face the day.

Stairs down to the Garden

The stairs which lead back down to the garden are located opposite her daybed. The large doorway to the garden allowed for so much natural light to flood into Frida’s room so she could better see what she was painting. The stairs lead down to the reflecting pool where I imagine Frida would have come to sit and contemplate, the sound of nothing but the birds and the wind in the trees surrounding her. The truest peace she could find.

Visiting the Casa Azul, I genuinely think is as important as anything else you’ll do in Mexico City. Even if you don’t know of Frida or even perhaps aren’t interested in her artwork, this museum is so much more than a gallery. It’s a glimpse into the life of a woman who changed the future of females artists forever. She took it upon herself to preserve and share her love of Mexican indigenous cultures. And today, the image of Frida, in her traditional colourful dress and floral headpiece, is as iconic as the Mona Lisa.

Me and my Diego

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