The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and Señor Xolotl

The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and Señor Xolotl
Spanish: El aabrazo de amor de el universo, la tierra (México), yo, Diego, y el Señor Xolotl
Artist Frida Kahlo
Year 1949
Type Oil on masonite
Dimensions 70 cm × 60.5 cm (28 in × 23.8 in)
Location Mexico City, Mexico
Owner Jacques & Natasha Gelman

The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and Señor Xolotl is a 1949 painting by Frida Kahlo. Created in Mexico, the 70cm x 60.5cm painting was painted with oil on masonite.

Themes and symbolism

The Love Embrace holds many layers of entwining embraces. The twofold face of the Universe, the light and dark background of planets and ethereal fog, is holding a murkier Earth (Mexico), whose breasts are lactating. The Earth (Mexico), with all her vegetation, is subsequently holding Frida Kahlo. Continuing further, Frida is then holding a nude Diego Rivera, whose forehead contains a third eye. This is a peculiar painting simply with these many different inclusions of subject material.

As one looks at this painting in comparison to Kahlo's other works, one can clearly spot similarities throughout the canvas. Many art critics have contended that The Love Embrace portrays several of Frida's life struggles, including but not limited to: womanhood, infertility, and, Diego Rivera.

Womanhood

Chelsey Miller, an art historian who submitted her Master's Art History thesis to the University of Wisconsin, dived into deep research on Kahlo's paintings as well as details about The Love Embrace, "In paintings such as The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Diego, I and Señor Xolotl it is clear that Frida felt a deep connection to the Earth and to the feminine energies [of the Earth]".[1] This statement can be used in comparison to Kahlo's 1943 painting Roots. Frida depicts herself with vegetation entwined throughout her body in Roots and the Earth (Mexico) in The Love Embrace clearly has vegetation all over her body. This could all be a reference to the allegorical iconography of using a woman's body to portray the earth.

Infertility

Kahlo’s tragic experiences with infertility due to an injury to her uterus,[2] miscarriages, and an emergency abortion as depicted in her 1932 painting Henry Ford Hospital, have greatly influenced a number of her works.[3] However, in The Love Embrace, instead of focusing on the tragedy of her inability to birth a child itself, she focuses on the motherly aspect of nursing. The Earth (Mexico) is depicted with lactating breasts. This could be a reference to Frida's tragic inability to become a mother.

Diego Rivera

Held in Frida's embrace, Diego Rivera is pictured in The Love Embrace with a third eye on his forehead. This is similar to a depiction of Diego in Frida's Diego and I, also painted in 1949. The idea of placing a third eye on a person is common in order to reference a deity that is the epitome of wisdom and intelligence. Kahlo thought of Rivera as one of the most brilliant people in the world.[4] Frida revered his thinking and his works of art to a standard that was god-like, often referring to Diego as "The Master".[5]

Notes

  1. ↑ Miller, "Frida Kahlo: An Exploration of Art Themes and Symbolism", 19.
  2. ↑ Morrison, Frida Kahlo, 6.
  3. ↑ Herrera, Frida Kahlo: The Paintings, 70–75.
  4. ↑ Stechler, The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo.
  5. ↑ Morrison, Frida Kahlo, 10.

References

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