On Saturday afternoon, the four of us headed to the Frida Kahlo Museum. The building is also known as La Casa Azul (the blue house) and was the artist’s birthplace, the home where she grew up, where she lived with her husband, Diego Rivera, for a number of years, and where she later died. In 1958, her husband’s will donated the property and it’s contents to turn it into a museum in Frida’s honour.
For those who are unfamiliar with Frida Kahlo and her work, she was a surrealist painter from the late 1920s to around the time of her death in 1954. In 1925, at the age of 18, Frida suffered nearly fatal injuries in a traffic accident that put an end to her dreams of becoming a doctor and caused her pain and illness for the rest of her life. She began painting while she was bedridden and recovering. She met Diego Rivera, a renowned muralist in 1927 and married him the following year. Her first solo exhibition was in 1953, the year before she died. Her work as been celebrated for being symbolic of Mexican traditions and for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.
We waited in the ridiculously-long line-up for two hours before we got in. The cost of entry per person was 220 pesos (~15 CAD) and an additional 30 pesos (~20 CAD) for photography. Week days are a bit cheaper at 200 pesos for the entry fee. If you must go on a weekend, it is highly recommended to go early and get the tickets online.
The museum itself is quite nice with some rooms preserved and others turned into art galleries. There is also a section that contains her clothes and jewelry. Phil and I had watched her biopic on Netflix beforehand so we had a greater appreciation of everything we saw than if we hadn’t.
Looong Lineup
Pyramid in the Courtyard
The Courtyard
Studying some sculptures
Day of the Dead Altar
Lots of art
The Dining Room
The Kitchen
Frida’s day room
Frida’s night room
A place to chill under the stairs
Art studio
Some of Frida’s clothes
Harneet and Prash, tapping into their inner Frida and Diego
We had intended to visit the Diego Rivera Museum afterwards; however, the long wait in the line-up earlier didn’t leave us enough time so we walked up Ignacio Allende street to a public market for a very late lunch instead. We made our way to the La Consentida stall for some ridiculously-delicious burritos that also happened to be super cheap.
Time for some delicious burritos!
After lunch, we explored the Coyoacán neighbourhood on foot for a few hours before heading back to our apartment.
