During her lifetime, Frida Kahlo intended her home to be turned posthumously into a museum. The Blue House, now one of Mexico’s most beloved cultural landmarks, is the place where Kahlo was born, lived, and died. Famously painted cobalt blue inside and out, La Casa Azul was described by Kahlo as her “intimate universe”.
Many of the rooms have been preserved much as she lived in them before her death in 1954, allowing a fascinating window into the private world of this enigmatic artist. The garden is still decorated with the pre-Hispanic sculptures collected by the couple, and many of the interior spaces also retain the original furniture chosen or inherited by Kahlo. The same pots and utensils are kept in the kitchen. The bedroom where she convalesced during the daytime still has the mirror on the wall, mounted by her mother so Kahlo could see herself from where she lay resting. Kahlo’s collection of extraordinary outfits, along with accessories such as exquisitely-crafted Mexican silver jewellery and hair accessories, many of which have been immortalised in her multiple self-portraits, are saved here. The bedroom where she slept at night still contains her books, toys, butterfly collection, and – poignantly – is now also the resting place of the pre-Hispanic urn that contains her ashes.
Frida Kahlo: Her Universe (published by Artbook) is the new book allowing access to this vast collection of treasures. The book also chronicles many items from the archives of Kahlo and Diego which were made public between 2004 and 2007. The thousands of objects stored away in wardrobes and trunks included photographs, textiles, jewellery, letters, newspaper clippings, drawings, advertisement posters, artwork, and legal, medical, and financial documents. The vast collection sheds new light on the intimate details of the lives of both revered artists.
Take a look through the gallery above for a glimpse of the extraordinary treasures detailed in Frida Kahlo: her Universe.
Frida Kahlo: Her Universe is published by Artbook and is available now