Girl+With+Death+Mask-+Visual+Analysis

//Girl with Death Mask (She Plays Alone) // Artist: Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo depicts personal and internal messages in her paintings. She demonstrates mostly pathos because the emotion in the painting is deep and intellectual. In the photo above, is a representation of her life as a child and an adult. Frida Kahlo was born in Mexico City, Mexico in a very sad childhood home with strict and religious parents. In 1925, she began painting after a brutal vehicle accident along with her husband, Diego Rivera. Along with the bus accident, many more illnesses occurred which left her hospitalized on various occasions. She undergoes two miscarriages due to her infertility caused from the bus accident. Along with the loss of her parents, the struggle with various illnesses and violent encounters with her husband, the thought of never having children left her more heartbroken than she was before. She once quoted, “My painting carries with it the message of pain.”

In the painting above, the sky appears to be mostly grey, with a hint of blue, demonstrating that a storm is approaching. The storm indicates that Kahlo is experiencing depression or as if she is trying to become free of her thoughts, but there is a blockage that is yielding her. While standing in the storm, she is holding a yellow marigold flower that is often used for decorating graves in Mexico. On her face is a skull mask that is usually worn at the annual Mexican festival, “Day of the Dead”, where death is celebrated. The pale skull mask signifies how she feels washed out as a hurting and struggled woman. In what it looks like to be a desert, she is standing alone bare feet next to a terrifying tiger mask. What could the tiger possibly represent? According to www.universeofsymbolism.com, tigers symbolize the skill of meditation and peace. As tigers are usually alone in the sight of darkness, they guide to create a sacred place that allows others to become disconnected from your inner visions and thoughts. The symbolism of a tiger and the symbolism of Frida Kahlo’s painting share a comparison.

The masks in the painting represents her innocence and lack of experience as a child, while also depicting the inhumanity of her fate. With her eyes being cut out of the mask, she is seeing through the cruelty of her fate while protecting it at the same time. Frida embraces her androgyny and sexuality through the works of her paintings. She was a very tormented woman with many hidden demons haunting her life, forever causing her trouble with her inner self. There is a prominent sadness demonstrated in this painting. We see a little girl who is standing alone, not playing with other children, but instead, contemplating death. As an individual that’s mentally, physically and emotionally distressed, her stance says “I know death is approaching and I accept it.”

Frida’s purpose for her fine art painting is to educate the audience about her life as a child and the struggles she went through as a young woman. The audience would be anyone who is fighting with inner demons and anyone who has struggled in their life. The tone of the photo is visibly dark because with the many problems that encountered her, she felt hidden away from life itself. She felt as if she was walking with death on her face. With death portrayed on her face, nobody understood her but herself.

In conclusion, I believe many people can relate to this painting. As individuals, many of us question the “What ifs”. What would it be like to never be able to have children? Be encountered in an abusive relationship? Portraying yourself as walking death? These questions cause such strong emotions that could possibly end in the result of death. I believe as humans, we use the word death too lightly. We are afraid of death but somehow plead for death. Kahlo “lived dying” nearly her entire life. This painting makes me think deeper into the lives and situations of others. There are many artists, authors, poets, and etc. who create their works based on their inner visions and emotions. While going through many hardships and struggles, many people consider death. Is death the focal point? Is there really life after death? Why try to battle something that we have no control over? These questions will never really be answered completely. Kahlo painted a picture concluding that death cannot really be defined any specific way. It can be the despondency we get or the depression we receive. While interpreting this photo, I inferred that death does not necessarily come when a person is no longer able to breathe, death can be attained while living.

//Works Cited://


 * Brooks, Mike. "Girl with Death Mask (She Plays Alone)." N.p., Aug. 2005. Web. **
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 * Love, Presley. "Tiger Symbolism & Meaning." Universe of Symbolism. N.p., **
 * n.d. Web. . **


 * Photo: **
 * Kahlo, Frida. //Girl with Death Mask (She Plays Alone)//. 1938. Museum of Art, Nagoya, Japan. //Frida Kahlo//. 2011. Web**
 * <@http://www.fridakahlo.org/girl-with-death-mask.jsp>.**