Title of Artwork: “My Birth”
Artwork by Frida Kahlo
Year Created 1932
Summary of My Birth
Both the mother and the child appear to have died in this haunting painting. The mother’s head is covered in a white cloth as she gives birth, and the newborn appears to be dead.
When Kahlo painted this work, her mother had recently died, so it is likely that the shrouded funerary figure is her mother and the baby is Kahlo herself (the title supports this reading). Although she had recently lost her own child, Kahlo claims that she is the mother figure covered by others.
One can only imagine how much pain and suffering the Virgin of Sorrows must be going through as she watches over the bed. The one who gave birth to herself… who wrote the most wonderful poem in her life,” Kahlo wrote in her diary, next to several small drawings of herself.
To some extent, My Birth echoes Frida Kahlo and Her Miscarriage (1932), which depicts Kahlo grieving the loss of a child while simultaneously finding the courage to create powerful art as a result of her experience.
All About My Birth
Retablo (or votive) style is a small traditional Mexican painting derived from Catholic Church art, in which the Madonna is typically thanked beneath the image.
This painting is in this style. It seems to me that Kahlo is unable to express gratitude for either her own birth or the fact that she can no longer give birth. The painting conveys the idea that it is critical to acknowledge the close relationship between life and death. Tlazolteotl, the Aztec goddess of fertility and midwives, is often cited as an inspiration for My Birth.
This painting was purchased by Madonna, a pop star. Madonna revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair that she uses this painting to determine who is and is not a friend. After seeing this painting, Madonna said: “If someone doesn’t like it, then I know that person is not going to be my friend.”
Information Citations
En.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/.
