Self-portrait with a necklace and a hummingbird

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Dimensions: 63,5 x 49,5 сm.
Location: The Nicholas Muray Collection, Harry Ransom Center, Texas (the USA).

Kahlo’s frontal position and distant gaze in this self-portrait attract the viewer. The artist wears a crown of thorns, like a necklace; in its center is a dead hummingbird, which in Mexican folklore is a symbol of charm and mutual love. The work is full of other characters – a black cat (misfortune and even death), a spider monkey presented by Rivera (it symbolizes evil), and the butterflies in her hair are too thin to give ease of flight. Kahlo often used flora and fauna for the background of self-portraits, creating a dense, claustrophobic space.