Self-portrait in a Velvet Dress
Self-portrait in a Velvet Dress (Spanish: Autorretrato con traje de terciopelo[5] or Spanish: Autorretrato con vestido de terciopelo)[6] is a 1926 oil-on-canvas painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.[7] BackgroundAt the age of 18, Kahlo suffered life-threatening injuries (from which she would never fully recover and would lead to lifelong physical pain) when the train she was riding hit a trolley. During her extended period of convalescence, her parents gave her an easel and painting supplies as well as affixed a mirror to the ceiling above her bed so that she could see herself while lying on her back. It was during this recovery period that Kahlo painted Self-portrait in a Velvet Dress.[8][9] The picture is considered if not Kahlo's first self-portrait then at least her first significant self-portrait.[10] It is her oldest surviving self-portrait and has been described as her, "earliest important work" and, "her first serious work".[9][11][12] It has also been described as, "her first real painting."[13] Early in her career, Kahlo was influenced by the painting of the Italian Renaissance and because of this, in Self-portrait in a Velvet Dress, "she is portrayed in an aristocratic, somewhat melancholic pose, her neck manneristically elongated in the style of Amedeo Modigliani."[10][14] The notable influence of European painting and European-influenced Mexican painting seen in this picture is contrasted starkly against Kahlo's later work which more prominently featured indigenous Mexican themes and Mexican national consciousness.[10] Others have noted elements of the self-portrait including the red dress and the slender elegant fingers are reminiscent of Sandro Botticellii and Bronzino.[15] DescriptionSelf-portrait in a Velvet Dress is described as:
The dress Kahlo is wearing in the portrait has a wine red color and she has been described as having a regal appearance.[16] The self-portrait is notable for being the first time Kahlo depicted herself with a prominent unibrow, which would go on to become a staple of her work.[8] This self-portrait is notably less graphic than many of her later paintings.[17] InterpretationScholars and critics have attempted to interpret Kahlo's expression in this early self-portrait, including suggesting, "Frida appears serene, her face a portrait of tranquil beauty. But, there's an unmistakable intensity in her gaze, perhaps a hint of the fiery spirit and passion that was soon to unfold in her subsequent works."[14] Laura Perez has noted an, "enormous difference between Kahlo's first self-portrait, Autorretrato con traje de terciopelo (Self-Portrait with a Velvet Dress, 1926), and those that followed, such as Autorretrato con collar (Self-Portrait with Necklace, 1933). In the latter, Kahlo no longer represents herself as desirable to a male heterosexual and Euro-identified racializing gaze through idealized femininity and Europeanization. Her masculinizing and indigenous self-representations effectively reject racialized norms of social decency and propriety."[18] HistoryThe painting was a gift from Kahlo to her boyfriend at the time, Alejandro Gómez Arias.[19] She began working on the painting in late summer of 1926 after her relationship to Alejandro became strained.[16] Self-portrait in a Velvet Dress was Kahlo's attempt to win back Alejandro's affection and when she finished the painting and sent it to him she included a note that read in part, "Within a few days the portrait will be in your house. Forgive me for sending it without a frame. I implore you to put it in a low place where you can see it as if you were looking at me."[20] The message also referred to the painting for Alejandro as, "your Botticelli".[21] Kahlo's gift of the self-portrait initially had its intended effect and the couple reconnected, though Alejandro eventually moved to Europe and Kahlo stayed in Mexico to work on her painting.[16][19] The picture's title has subsequently been used by authors and poets as titles to their works.[22][23] See also
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