Las Dos Fridas

                                         Las dos Fridas

Introduction.

Las Dos Fridas represents an array of views and analyses. It represents two cultures: colonial Spanish and Tehuanan Mexico. It represents herself: before and after her marriage to Diego Rivera. It represents how she sees her life: the duality, surrealism, and anatomy of her being. The painting also conveys resilience and suffering: she is bleeding profusely yet shows no emotion. Las Dos Fridas represents Frida Kahlo. In this essay, I will attempt to give a history of Mexican culture as it has been influenced by Spain and France, the heritage of Frida Kahlo as well as her husband Diego Rivera and how the influence of her marriage, life, and heritage influenced her numerous works of art, particularly Las Dos Fridas.

Mexican History

Around the 12th century, native peoples known as Aztecs or Mexicas were located in Aztlan in Northwest Mexico. Their sun god told the people that they should travel in search of new land. The Aztecs were told that when they reached this new land, they would see an eagle perched on a cactus holding a snake in its mouth. Legend says they saw this sign in the valley of Mexico and this is where they settled; this sign that would one day be the symbol of their flag. It is in the Valley of Mexico that the Aztecs built Tenochtitlan. This empire had many tall and

grand temples, long waterways, and a numerous supply of agriculture. By the time the Spanish arrived in the early 16th century, Tenochtitlan covered 8000 miles and contained 80,000 people.

The Spanish army known as conquistadors was led by Hernan Cortez. He and his subordinates landed on the beach Vera Cruz and were met by local indigenous peoples. After Cortez had learned of Tenochtitlan, he was eager to claim the riches of the city and gathered other indigenous groups that resented the Aztecs to help form an attack. With the help of rivals, Cortez attacked Tenochtitlan by water. He and his army cut off the Aztec’s water and food supply which weakened Aztec defenses. Although it was done unknowingly, the invaders also spread small-pox which in turn killed thousands of locals who were not yet immune. Due to the advantages held by Cortez, the Emperor Cuauhtémoc finally surrendered on August 13th, 1521.

Colonial Period

After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, they renamed their lands Viceroyalty of Spain. To make way for Colonial buildings, Spaniards leveled much of the original architecture. The Catholic Church sent missionaries to convert, baptize, and educate the indigenous peoples and monasteries and parochial schools were built for the purpose of assimilating native Mexicans. It was also at this time that monks catalogued the culture of the native peoples; they put their language, rituals, and practices into books called codices. They set up a mining operation that sent valuables such as coal, copper, gold, and silver back to Europe. The local establishments allowed new-comers to build haciendas similar to what were plantations in America. On these