My grandparents, my parents and I (family tree)

Mediums: oil, tempera, zink.
Dimensions: 30,5 x 34,5 сm.
Location: Museum of Modern Art, New York (the USA).

Kahlo conceived a plot to emphasize her European-Jewish and Mexican origin. The paternal line occupies the right side of the composition; it depicts the sea (the journey of the father who reached Mexico); a map of Mexico represents the maternal side. Although Kahlo’s paintings are autobiographical, she conveys political messages: the painting was finished after Hitler passed laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The artist demonstratively confirms her mixed ancestry to resist Nazi ideology using a genealogical map – the same as those which the Nazis used to determine their racial purity. In addition, the red ribbon connecting the family members resembles the umbilical cord connecting the child and the mother – a motif that is repeated in the works by Kahlo.