Skate deck made of 7 ply grade A Canadian maple wood.
©2025 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Self-Portrait, Dedicated to Dr. Eloesser (1940) is a visual letter Frida Kahlo wrote with a brush instead of a pen. More than a portrait, it’s a thank-you painted with solemnity, devotion… and, of course, that theatrical flair only Frida could lend to her image. In this work, she stands upright and composed, dressed in a purple huipil adorned with pre-Hispanic motifs—a nod to her Mexican roots and her love of indigenous symbolism.
Her gaze is direct, unwavering, almost hypnotic, as if to ensure her message lands without the need for interpretation. The background is stark, nearly empty, which only magnifies her commanding presence. Behind her, a cloudy sky suggests that while the storm may have passed, the wounds remain—hidden, but not forgotten.
The portrait is dedicated to Dr. Leo Eloesser, her physician and close friend, who supported her through some of her most challenging health crises. But don’t expect sentimental clichés: what Frida offers is gratitude dressed in power. Even in appreciation, she maintains full control of her visual narrative.
With this painting, Kahlo transforms pain into dignity, recovery into art, and the doctor-patient relationship into a scene somewhere between a personal altar and a performance of resilience. As always, the intimate becomes universal, and the everyday, extraordinary.
